Over the weekend, the Minnesota Vikings received good news: Harrison Smith will be back for another season ahead of Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Smith’s return was the lingering question throughout training camp and the preseason after the Vikings settled their QB battle, with Kyler Murray coming out as the winner.
Last season, Smith played 793 snaps, resulting in a 68.9 defensive grade. The Vikings veteran also 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.
With the Packers game a few days away on Sept. 13, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell shared his thoughts on Smith’s return and an update on how the player looks despite no training camp or preseason.
“I was asked a lot about it throughout the offseason, and I just kept being as honest as possible,” O’Connell told KFAN’s Paul Allen on Sept. 8. “I talked to him every week, and just kind of continued to make it much more about golf than just football. For him, it was obviously where he was at in his enjoyment of the offseason, but then, as the summer days were kind of going off the calendar, he started to get that itch to play.
“The idea and the conversations leading up to it, and then to get things wrapped up and welcome him back yesterday. [Smith is] hitting the ground running. He’s in great shape. He’s got a great routine. He did tell me one of the workouts that he does is that he dunks a basketball 40 times: 20 off his left foot and 20 off his right.”
How Vikings Dressing Room Feels After Harrison Smith Return
Moreover, O’Connell shared the team’s reaction in the dressing room to learning that Smith was returning for the 2026 NFL season.
“Hitman’s in shape, and the guys were juiced to have him back in the building and on the grass,” O’Connell added.
Smith reportedly wants to play against the Packers, and it will be interesting to see whether the veteran can hit the ground running or the team eases him in with a manageable snap count to avoid injury. The Vikings are looking to be a playoff team and need the veteran for the long haul.
Christian Watson Gets Blunt on Harrison Smith’s Return
Ahead of the Week 1 matchup with the Vikings, Packers wideout Christian Watson recently spoke about facing Minnesota’s defense with Smith back in the secondary again.
“I respect everything that he’s done in his career,” Watson told reporters on Sept. 7. “He’s been a great player for them. So, I mean, he’s definitely going to bring a different vibe to that defense for sure. But I mean, I think regardless of who was out there, I think we’re going to approach it the same way…
“[The Vikings defense] run a lot of different things. They try to disguise and do a lot of exotic-looking stuff. So we just got to be able to handle that well and execute whatever plan we have in place for it.”
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Details Harrison Smith’s Decision to Return