He’ll be back for at least one more year
The longest-tenured member of the Minnesota Vikings’ roster is going to be back for at least one more season in purple.
Numerous sources, led by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, are reporting that the Vikings and safety Harrison Smith have agreed to a restructured deal that will keep him in Minnesota for the 2023 season. There had been some rumblings that the two sides were trending towards a scenario where Smith would be released, but with this news we know that has been avoided.
Smith has been with the Vikings since Minnesota drafted him in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. That gives him eleven seasons in purple to this point, many of which have seen him establish his place among the top safeties in the National Football League. This past season, Smith had five interceptions, marking the fifth time in his Vikings’ career that he’s had five picks in a season.
As it stands now, Smith is in second place among active players in career interceptions with 34, one behind the man that was his teammate until a few days ago, Patrick Peterson.
With Smith’s ability to rush the quarterback and still provide solid coverage, he would seem to be the type of player that could flourish in the new, more aggressive defense that Brian Flores is bringing to the table. Will that be the case? Hopefully, Smith will be able to hold off Father Time for another year and answer that question in the affirmative.