The Minnesota Vikings have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One that no one is talking about is, “Will Harrison Smith be back in Minnesota in 2025?”
If there’s been two constants with the Vikings over the past decade-plus, it’s heartbreak and Harrison Smith. While the Vikings have had a number of tragic seasons over the years — this past one perhaps the cherry on top — Smith has remained a stalwart in the Vikings’ defensive backfield.
Smith has been the heart and soul of the Vikings’ defense through thick and thin. From the days when they were one of the weaker units in the NFL to the current resurgence, they’ve experienced under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Smith has been there through it all, but now it’s time to question whether Smith’s time is up in Minnesota.
Unlike nearly every other defensive back on the Vikings’ roster, Smith isn’t scheduled to hit free agency — but that doesn’t automatically mean he’ll be back with the team next season. Smith restructured his contract last season to give the Vikings more salary cap space, taking a small base salary in 2024 and 2025.
However, as Vikings’ beat reporter Ben Goessling reported, without another restructure, his release, or Smith calling it a career and retiring, the Vikings will be on the hook for a $25 million base salary to Smith in 2026. That’s not likely to be in the cards for either party.
Assuming Smith doesn’t retire, what could a restructure with the Vikings look like? Over the Cap currently has Smith’s contract valuation sitting at just over $4.4 million. That would be a significant boost from the $1.5 million Smith played at last season, and could be a nice parting gift for a player who has meant so much to the franchise and city.