Keep an Eye On a Vikings Legend as the Week 17 Game Unfolds at U.S. Bank Stadium
Indisputably, Harrison Smith is a Vikings legend. Is he about to play his last ever home game in his career?
The 35-year-old safety — he turns 36 in early February — has had a sensational career. For more than a decade, The Hitman has been a known as a hard-hitting, versatile defender who can basically line up anywhere on the field. The possibility exists that the Packers game later on today is his final one in Minnesota.
A Vikings Legend and The Week 17 Possibility
At this stage, nothing is certain.
Smith could retire once the season is over. Or, perhaps, he’ll look to keep his career going. Presumably, the only team he would be interested in playing for is the Vikings — the team that snagged him at No. 29 in the 2012 NFL Draft — but that will be the veteran’s decision (which is to say nothing of the team’s interest in retaining his services).
Again, nothing certain.
The possibility exists, though, that Sunday will be the end for Smith’s time playing football in Minnesota.
Of course, there is still the Week 18 game, but that’s going to be taking place at Ford Field. Moreover, there’s the possibility that Minnesota secures homefield advantage throughout the playoffs by winning these next two games. In that scenario, then Smith is guaranteed to play at least one more game inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Once again, we can’t say for certain. Janik Eckardt puts it this way: “The fascinating element is that Smith might be heading toward his final home game. He contemplated retirement last offseason but ultimately returned. It remains to be seen if he will repeat that as the end is near.”
All we know right now is that Minnesota will play Green Bay in what is the final regular season game inside The Bank. Friday’s injury report didn’t feature the safety, so Smith is going to be out there trying to contribute to Brian Flores’ chaos before and after the snap.
The veteran has been a first-team All Pro. He has been a second-team All Pro. In 2017, Harrison Smith finished 4th in Defensive Player of the Year voting. On a half dozen occasions, Smith got sent to the Pro Bowl.
The defender’s fourteen games in 2024 have led to 79 tackles, 2 interceptions, 9 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 quarterback hit. Flores has moved him all over the place, putting #22 at free safety for 464 snaps, in the box for 222 snaps, along the d-line for 118 snaps, at slot corner for 77 snaps, and as a wide corner for 5 snaps.
When it’s all said and done, Harrison Smith will generate a lot of debate about whether he should be in the Hall of Fame. What’s more certain is that he will one day see the franchise retire his number.
Kickoff between the Vikings and Packers is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. CT. Winning the game would involve Minnesota having a chance to secure the top spot in the NFC next week when they travel to Detroit, a possibility that is sure to add a bit of extra motivation for the purple and gold.
As the game unfolds, pay special attention to The Hitman. Harrison Smith could be playing his final home game.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.