The Hitman Remains
When it’s all said and done, the Vikings will be retiring #22. It’s not done yet, though.
On Wednesday night, the news emerged that Harrison Smith — affectionately known as The Hitman — will be coming back. Consider the update from Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune: “Harrison Smith is back for Year 14 with the #Vikings: A source confirmed the safety has a new deal for 2025 with the team.”
The Hitman is Back for Year No. 14
Goessling goes on to provide the details of the new deal.
“Harrison Smith gets a $10.25M base,” Goessling writes, “with $250K of per-game roster bonuses and $750K tied to snap counts. He can earn up to $3M in incentives tied to his stats and the #Vikings’ success. His league minimum base salary on his old deal was a placeholder, with Smith’s future uncertain. Now, he’s back on a new deal.”
NFL insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network confirmed the news. Heck, Josh Metellus dropped an image of Smith’s face cropped onto Prince, an ode to the legendary update that Smith offered to Chris Tomasson once upon a time.
The Vikings will now move ahead with a starting safety trio of Smith, Metellus, and Theo Jackson. Getting the elder statesman back into the mix means re-adding invaluable wisdom and insight within the secondary, someone who can shepherd the other players.
Last season, Smith played more than 1,000 snaps on defense while starting in sixteen games. He picked up 87 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 3 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 10 passes defended. Brian Flores moved him all over the place, putting Smith into the deep area of the field for 542 snaps, into the box for 249 snaps, along the d-line for 127 snaps, in the slot for 86 snaps, and as a wide corner for 5 snaps.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic adds, “Harrison Smith’s new deal is worth around $11 million with incentives bringing it up to $14 million, per source. Brian Flores did not want to lose him, nor did Kevin O’Connell, and the Vikings made sure to get it done.”
Lately, all of the attention in Minnesota has been on the additions up front. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave have the potential to give the Vikings a ferocious, fearsome front. Re-inserting The Hitman into the mix makes things look even more optimistic as Minnesota prepares for a 2025 season where they’re considering themselves legitimate contenders for the Super Bowl.
Indisputably, Harrison Smith is one of the greatest Vikings draft picks in franchise history. He has been to the Pro Bowl six times, been a first-team All Pro, a second-team All Pro, and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2017.
Putting a Super Bowl ring on his finger would be a wonderful way to send him into retirement.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
Like a Cat with Nine Lives, Vikings Rumor Refuses to Die
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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.