Report: Vikings’ Smith underwent ankle surgery this offseason

The Minnesota Vikings’ star safety reportedly had surgery to fix an injury that forced him to miss two games during the 2016 NFL season.

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has never been one to shy away from an opportunity to make a tackle during his five seasons with the team no matter what the circumstances may be. But since he has never had a problem when it comes to putting his body on the line, he also seems to suffer an injury every now and then that sometimes causes him to miss a game or two each year.

In 2016, Smith missed two games with an ankle injury that he sustained during the Vikings’ Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys. According to a report published by ESPN on Wednesday, the Minnesota safety underwent surgery this offseason to fix any damage that was caused by his injured ankle.

The surgery is not thought to be anything serious, but just something to prevent any further injury from occurring. Smith is expected to be healthy well before he has to report to training camp this summer.

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Entering his sixth NFL season, the 28-year-old Vikings safety will be looking to earn his third straight Pro Bowl appearance in 2017. Antoine Winfield is the last Minnesota defensive back to represent the team at three straight Pro Bowls when he played in the NFL’s annual all-star game back in 2008, 2009, and 2010.