Officials with the Minnesota Vikings told reporters Monday that outside linebackers coach Mike Smith has not been with the team since training camp and that his absence is for personal reasons and is ongoing.
Smith is in his second season with the Vikings as the outside linebackers coach and pass rush specialist. Reports at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, including Purple Insider's Matthew Coller, confirm that officials say it's a personal leave that is ongoing and it is not a legal matter.
Assistant head coach Mike Pettine has taken over Smith's role and will coach the outside linebackers and handle pass rush coaching in Minnesota's Week 1 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, Sept. 10.
It's unclear if or when Smith will rejoin the coaching staff.
Smith spent 2019-21 as the outside linebackers coach of the Packers, and prior to that he coached linebackers and defensive linemen with the Chiefs and Jets, along with college jobs with Hawaii and his alma mater Texas Tech.
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