Harrison Smith is back with the Minnesota Vikings after signing a one-year contract worth $12.25 million, with a maximum value of $16.25 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
Last season, Smith showed that he can still produce despite being in his late 30s. He was on the field for 793 total snaps, leading to a 68.9 defensive grade.
Furthermore, the Vikings veteran allowed an 81.0 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks. Smith surrendered 21 receptions in coverage and also contributed 42 solo tackles in run support and open-field situations.
Smith will not only be looking to help the Vikings get back to the postseason, but also add to his legacy. With the veteran back for one more season, Judd Zulgad of “Purple Daily” shared whether Smith will be getting the call from the Pro Football Hall of Fame once it’s all said and done.
“I think the question, from having covered him and watched him, it’s fair to debate,” Zulgad said on the Sept. 6 edition of “Purple Daily.” “The way things work, he’s not a first-ballot guy, but I think he is a Hall of Fame player.
“He’s just, if you look at the stats, what he’s done, and his numbers in relation to a lot of safeties who have made the Hall of Fame, it should be as close to a sure thing as you can possibly get.”
Would Vikings Consider Retiring Harrison Smith’s Number?
Moreover, Zulgad went a step further and pondered whether the Vikings would consider retiring the safety’s number once Smith calls it a career.
“I think it’s more of a long shot he gets his number retired than he gets into Canton, considering that Moss’s 84 has not been retired,” Zulgad added. “So, yes, I think he goes into Canton. If there is a waiting process to get into the Ring of Honor for the Vikings, I would waive it. I’d put him in the first year. He does not play just because of what he’s meant to this fan base that’s following the Vikings.
“So, yes, on Hall of Fame. I’m skeptical about number retirement, but everything he’s done screams Hall of Fame career, unless you want to use the lack of a Super Bowl against him, which I would not.”
Ben Leber Was Certain That Harrison Smith Would Return
Although there were several discussions regarding whether Smith would return for another season, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber didn’t have any doubt. For him, it was more of a question of when, not if.
“At this point, we never really know,” Leber said on the Sept. 1 edition of “Sound the Horn.” “I’m 100 percent certain he’s going to come back. I just am. There’s too much dialogue. There’s not enough people saying that he’s not going to do it.
“I feel like with a rumor as strong as this, with all of the connections that he has, with all the conversations people are supposedly having with this guy, the number of times that he’s been in town throughout the summer having conversations, getting together with people, it just seems like it’s a foregone conclusion that he’s going to come back.
“So, I’m 100 percent certain he’s going to come back. I’d be shocked if he didn’t. Now, the timing of it obviously is debatable.”
Harrison Smith Gets Hall of Fame Verdict After Vikings Return