Irv Smith Jr. was supposed to be the Minnesota Vikings tight end of the future after Kyle Rudolph left, but injuries as well as other roster moves have derailed that timeline for the 24-year-old. In 2022, Smith came back from a meniscus tear that kept him sidelined for the entire 2021 season, but just a few weeks into the season, he hit the shelf once again after suffering a high ankle sprain.
This prompted the Vikings to trade for T.J. Hockenson, and now, it doesn’t appear that there is a spot for Smith on the roster alongside Hockenson with the 2019 second-round pick about to hit free agency.