Smith (thumb) has been spotted catching passes in recent practices, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Smith returned to practice last week but wasn't catching passes, so his activity over the past few days marks a significant step forward. The tight end missed the entire 2021 season after having surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee, but after opening training camp as a full participant, he underwent thumb surgery Aug. 2. Head coach Kevin O'Connell previously said that Smith was on track to be ready for the start of the regular season.