Vikings rookie LB Cam Smith to undergo heart surgery & miss season
Joe Johnson
|
The Minnesota Vikings have had some bad luck this off-season, which for a team known as cursed by those that love it most, is saying something.
Michael Pierce, the vital replacement at nose tackle opted out for understandable reasons. Then the team attempted to trade for his replacement, and that player PJ Hall failed his physical and the trade was nullified.
Oh yeah, and there is the whole Stefon Diggs situation and the fact that 10% of the roster started camp on the new COVID-IR.
One of those players was second-year linebacker Cameron Smith, who found out after contracting COVID that his heart was dangerously enlarged (one of the many additional issues that we are learning COVID can create).
Because of that, though, doctors discovered what sounds like an undiagnosed birth defect in his heart, which lead to Smith opting for surgery which’ll end his 2020 season.
Smith released a statement on his Intagram, saying:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDo8_8Eljww/
Earlier this week I found out I need open heart surgery to fix a bicuspid aortic valve that I was born with. Although this will unfortunately end my 2020 season, it is really a blessing that we found this as my heart is severely enlarged and wouldn’t have lasted much longer. I found this out after I tested positive for COVID and had to have further testing done as protocol. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but I could really feel him on this one!??
There is a surgery that will allow me to continue to play football as soon as I am healed and cleared and I didn’t think twice about going with that one. By no means am I ready to be done playing football, there is still so much more I want to accomplish on the field. Im going to attack this like everything else I have in life. Already looking forward to the comeback! #SKOL
While the Vikings were already pretty set at linebacker, especially with the amount of nickel they run, this is none the less scary and much larger than football.
This also could explain the Vikings signing free agent Linebacker Quentin Poling.
Let’s hope over and wish Smith a safe surgery and great rehab and comeback!