Vikings LB Cameron Smith preparing for open heart surgery

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith will not play in 2020.

While much of the hype surrounding the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 relates to the new faces on offense, most notably wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Eric Kendricks and Minnesota’s linebacking corps are as solid a collective as there is in the league. That group suffered a major loss when one of their best backups in Cameron Smith was lost for the 2020 season due to a serious medical issue.

When Smith was being tested for COVID-19, his test revealed a congenital heart condition that requires open-heart surgery. Smith will sit the 2020 season out as he gets surgery to fix a bicuspid aortic valve.

The Vikings were counting on a breakout year from Cameron Smith.

Smith was a four-year starter and two-time captain during a prolific college career at USC in which he recorded 354 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and four interceptions. While his high football IQ and sure tackling made him a desired prospect during the 2019 NFL Draft, the Vikings were able to snag him in the fifth round after he fell due to concerns about his athletic ability. In his first year as a pro, Smith played mostly on special teams and recorded eight tackles.

While the presence of stars like Kendricks and the selection of Oregon’s Troy Dye in the 2020 NFL Draft meant playing time might have been hard to come by for Smith in 2020, that doesn’t change the fact that the Vikings have to be reeling after being dealt this shocking news.

Anything related to football is completely secondary to Smith, as open-heart surgery for anyone his age is a serious proposition. All Vikings fans can do is hope that the procedure goes well and Smith can return to the heart of Mike Zimmer’s defense sooner rather than later.