The Minnesota Vikings really wanted Harrison Smith back for a 15th NFL season.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo posted on X on September 7, “Harrison Smith’s return to Minnesota over the weekend for big money and sizable expectations on playing time, with an eye toward Sunday against the #Packers,” teasing a television hit.
“A one-year, $12.25 million contract for a guy that was sort of hanging out there and hearing from other teams. But Harrison Smith is a longtime Viking. Head coach Kevin O’Connell, as well as defensive coordinator Brian Flores, pushed hard for this deal to get done. And it is a really good number for a guy that was sitting out there,” Garafolo reported on “The Insiders” on September 7.
“He’s got some incentives on top of that, and some of that $12.25 million is what they call ‘per-game roster bonuses,’ meaning he’s got to be active for those.”
Garafolo noted Smith’s reliable availability. He has played in no fewer than 14 games in a single regular season since 2015. Garafolo also mentioned Smith’s high snap count. However, the insider also noted the Vikings’ plans to ease his workload this coming season.
“This has been a remarkably consistent guy, who’s played anywhere from 90% to 100% of the snaps for most of his career,” Garafolo said. “Went down to 85 last year, and my understanding is it might be even a little bit less. But Harrison Smith is in great shape and believes that he’s going to be ready to play against the Packers in this game.”
Garafolo called both Smith’s return and his contract “pretty incredible.”
Smith’s pact, which is worth up to $16.25 million, ranks 19th in terms of average salaries among safeties, per Spotrac. If his cap hit is also $12.25 million, it would rank 10th.
Notably, Spotrac projected Smith’s market value at a one-year pact, but that was at $10.8 million. The six-time Pro Bowl safety and former Notre Dame Fighting Irish standout has earned $107.2 million in his career.
His play on the field will determine whether his current deal is worth it.
Schefter: Vikings Believe Harrison Smith Will Play vs Packers
ESPN’s Adam Schefter fielded a question about whether the Vikings re-signed Smith because they really wanted him back or because they were dissatisfied with their other options alongside Josh Metellus.
“I think they were planning for him to be back, and I think the door was always open. When you have a guy of that character–of that stature, of that talent–he’s always welcomed back. And it always sounded like that was a possibility, that he was going to be back. Obviously, just waited towards the end of the summer and, for whatever reason, decided to make it official. He’s going to be back,” Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on September 7
“I think that they think he’s got a real chance to be ready.”
Schefter cited Philip Rivers coming out of retirement after four years to play for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025.
Playing quarterback is far different from safety, though. Plenty remains undetermined about Smith’s decision to return and the Vikings’ choice to reward him with such a lucrative contract, despite diminishing returns.
Insider Delivers Harrison Smith Reality Check Amid Vikings Contract Details