Smith (knee) is expected to miss the entire 2021 season, as he's facing a recovery timeline of 4-to-5 months after Wednesday surgery to repair his meniscus, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The hope for fantasy managers was that Smith would get a meniscectomy rather than a meniscus repair. The timeline associated with the latter procedure means any chance of him playing this season will perhaps hinge on Minnesota qualifying for the playoffs. For now, Smith's potential breakout is on hold, while the Vikings are left with Tyler Conklin, Brandon Dillon and recent trade acquisition Chris Herndon as their options at tight end. Conklin should get plenty of snaps Week 1 against Cincinnati.