Harrison Smith Placed On Injured Reserve-Recall List

As we talked about yesterday, the Minnesota Vikings are going to be without one of their best defensive players for a good chunk of the remainder of the 2013 NFL season.

Safety Harrison Smith was placed on injured reserve by the Vikings on Friday, but he does have the designation to return, something the NFL began to implement last season. According to the report from NFL.com, the designation means that Smith can't practice with the team for the next six weeks. He would not be eligible to actually return to the lineup until Week 15, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Philadelphia Eagles in what appears to be the penultimate game for the Vikings at the Metrodome.

Smith had been one of the few bright spots on a Vikings' defense that has struggled all season long. After an outstanding rookie season, he was being looked to for even more in his sophomore campaign. Unfortunately, his contributions for the rest of this season are going to be limited.

To fill Smith's spot on the roster, the Vikings signed cornerback Jacob Lacey, who had been with the team for a good portion of training camp. They've also signed Brandan Bishop, who was with the team in camp, to the practice squad to fill the spot vacated with receiver Rodney Smith was promoted to the 53-man roster.