What should the Minnesota Vikings do at tight end next season?

The Minnesota Vikings have an interesting dilemma on their hands at tight end.

Heading into the 2021 season, Irv Smith Jr. was touted as the breakout candidate for the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately for himself and the team, Smith battled a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire season.

Tyler Conklin was ushered into the starting role after emerging as a very good backup in 2020 and he took hold of that role from the jump. Conklin caught 61 passes for 593 yards and three touchdowns while also converting 26 first downs. Now, Conklin enters free agency with significantly more value than he had at this time a year ago.

For the Vikings, the situation has become a bit of a questionable one. Do they retain both guys and revert back to their original roles or do they pick one over the other to be the starting tight end moving forward? Of course, they could also evolve both players into new roles and maximize both of them but that seems a lot tougher given the rest of the offensive roster.

Irv Smith Jr. has the potential to be a top-tier pass catcher at the tight end position but injuries and what-ifs will seemingly always be around to limit his expectations. Conklin lacks the athletic profile of Smith but his size and catch radius make up for a lot of those areas.

Minnesota can really do no wrong when evaluating these two players this offseason but they still have a massive question looming over them both. Should they stick with the guy that emerged last season or do they trust Irv Smith Jr. enough to stay healthy as the primary tight end.