Some injury news to report on the NFL front. Former Alabama tight end and current Minnesota Viking Irv Smith Jr. suffered an apparent thumb injury during Monday’s practice.

However, the injury does not appear to be serious. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Smith will have surgery on Tuesday to fix the injury:

Head coach Kevin O’Connell says he expects Smith to be ready for Week 1 of the 2022 season, which is good news for the former Crimson Tide star.

Still, this is a slight step back for Smith in a contract year. He is also playing after missing all of the 2021 season with a meniscus injury.

Smith played at Alabama from 2016-18, where he caught 58 balls for 838 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named second-team All-SEC player after the 2018 season. The Vikings selected Smith with the 50th overall pick in the second round in the 2019 NFL Draft.

He has recorded 66 receptions for 676 yards and 7 touchdowns with the Vikings.