Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith had offseason surgery to clean up the high left ankle sprain that caused the Pro Bowler to miss two games at the end of 2016, two league sources told ESPN.
Smith had said Jan. 2 he would not need surgery after returning from the ankle sprain to play the Vikings' final two games, and he played in his second Pro Bowl on Jan. 30. He ultimately decided, however, to have an operation to clean up the injury. The operation, which is believed to be similar to the one Vikings running back Latavius Murray had last week, should have Smith ready in plenty of time for the 2017 season.