Harrison Smith is back where the Vikings have long expected him to be, and for now he’s right back in the starting lineup, too.
Minnesota listed the six-time Pro Bowl safety as a starter on the depth chart for Sunday’s opener against the rival Green Bay Packers, a clear sign that his return on Saturday is being treated as much more than a ceremonial reunion. Smith agreed to a one-year, $12.25 million contract to come back for a 15th season with the only NFL team he has played for.
After the way Minnesota celebrated him, Smith’s late-season run had the feel of a goodbye. Instead, he’s back in the building, back on the field and talking like someone who still has plenty left to offer.
“I feel like I’ve got a little more to give, help some guys out, go make some plays and see what we can do,” Smith said.
Smith was back at practice on Wednesday, and Kevin O’Connell couldn’t resist a little joke about how long it took the veteran to put the pads back on. O’Connell and Smith had been in regular contact throughout the spring and summer, but the coach still got a smile out of the timing.
“I think I kind of knew it the whole time. I just didn’t know exactly the timing, and sometimes you just find yourself in a helmet,” Smith said with a laugh.
The Vikings’ coaching and medical staffs will spend the week making sure Smith is ready for game action, though O’Connell did not sound worried. Smith, for his part, said he feels prepared even if nothing fully matches the pace and strain of real football.
“I’m in good shape. I’ve been working out, but there’s nothing like playing football.
That’s just the reality of it - heart rate, outside factors, thinking a lot while you’re moving,” Smith said. “It’s hard to simulate that.
I kind of do it the best I can, but I feel like I’m in a really good place right now.”
Smith’s value to the Vikings goes well beyond what he can still do physically at 37. Since O’Connell arrived in 2022, Smith has become one of the coach’s trusted voices, with weekly coffee meetings in O’Connell’s office becoming part of the routine. On the field, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has leaned on Smith to handle the play-calling himself.
That kind of role matters for a player whose experience can still steer the defense even if some of the raw tools have faded. O’Connell was direct about what Smith brings to the group.
“I know we got better as a team when you have that guy in your building, in your locker room and on your field with your defense,” O’Connell said.
Smith’s return also gives Flores more freedom to deploy Josh Metellus in the versatile role he excels in, moving him around from safety to linebacker to slot cornerback to edge rusher. The Vikings had envisioned a similar job for Jamal Adams, who signed just before training camp, but Adams tore his quadriceps in the first exhibition game and required season-ending surgery.
Minnesota still has some younger options developing at safety, including rookies Jakobe Thomas and Jacob Thomas, along with backups Theo Jackson and Jay Ward, who already have some experience. O’Connell said there is still work to be done in building that next wave in the secondary, and Smith’s decision did not change that.
“I still think there’s going to be plenty of work for some young talented players that really made this Harry’s decision rather than us feeling like it had to happen for us to have success,” O’Connell said.
The Vikings also settled their quarterback depth chart behind Kyler Murray, at least for now, by putting Carson Wentz at No. 2 and J.J. McCarthy at No.
- O’Connell said that spot behind Murray will be decided on a weekly basis.
For McCarthy, the 2024 first-round pick, the move amounts to a temporary setback, though not a shocking one. Wentz has 103 regular-season starts. McCarthy has 10.
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