The Vikings, the NFL’s lone undefeated team, will spend their bye week evaluating both internal and external options up front after yet losing another offensive lineman.
Coach Mike Zimmer announced Monday that right tackle Andre Smith, who sat out Sunday’s 31-13 victory over the Houston Texans because of a triceps injury, will have surgery on Tuesday. Smith will be placed on injured reserve and is likely done for the season.
Smith is their second starting bookend to go down in the season’s first five weeks. Left tackle Matt Kalil is also on injured reserve after undergoing hip surgery in Week 3.