NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 05: Cameron Smith #59 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts against the New Orleans Saints during a game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Earlier this month, Vikings LB Cameron Smith revealed on his Instagram account that a COVID-19 test revealed a dangerous heart condition that caused one of his aortic valves to be very enlarged. This condition likely would have been fatal if it had gone unnoticed.
Smith has now had surgery that was reportedly successful. Smith said that he intends to return to football as soon as possible, but it is unclear when that will be. Something as taxing on your body as open heart surgery and a heart condition likely means that he will be out a significant part of the season or the whole season. The team has yet to release a statement on Smith’s status, but it is likely that the Vikings defense will be missing a key cog for a significant amount of time.
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