Chris Herndon Injury History & Analysis

The Saints are set to sign TE Chris Herndon, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Herndon flamed out with the Jets and then caught just 4 balls for the Vikings last year. New Orleans' TE depth start is a bit fluid with Adam Trautman and Taysom Hill at the top, but we'd still consider Herndon a long shot to earn a significant role.

Vikings TE Irv Smith had surgery Wednesday morning to repair his injured meniscus. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that he has a 4-5 month recovery timeline, which almost certainly ends Smith's season. That leaves opportunity open at the position. HC Mike Zimmer talked up Tyler Conklin this summer. Conklin missed about half of August with a hamstring injury, but he has downplayed the severity and said he expects to be ready for the opener. He's our top choice among Minnesota TEs. The team also traded for Chris Herndon this week, of course. The former Jet comes with athletic upside but has disappointed since a standout rookie year. It's worth noting the Jets unloaded him for merely a move up from Round 6 to Round 4 in the 2022 draft. We'll see whether the Vikings look to add anything else over the next week and a half -- or in season if they're dissatisfied once the games begin.