An Ode to Harrison Smith: Part 2
Well, let’s do this again.
One of my first ever pieces for this glorious site that strives to bring you any news, opinions, analysis and breakdowns of your often-disappointing Minnesota Vikings was “An Ode to Harrison Smith“, after he agreed to take a large pay-cut during the 2024 NFL offseason in order to stay with these Vikings, and to give some financial leeway to the organization that traded up to pick #30 in the 2012 NFL Draft to claim rights to his services.
Another Ode to Harrison Smith
Now, it seems like this is the third or fourth year in-a-row we’ve done this whole go-around with potentially seeing Harrison Smith’s time in Minnesota come to an end, so in a league where the unexpected should be expected, this could very well be a talking point next offseason as well.
An Ode to Harrison Smith
Well, here we are. I gave the advice that we should treat 2024 as one final ride for the all-time great with the disclaimer that we could be talking about this again this offseason, and that’s exactly what happened. I, myself, treated 2024 as Smith’s last stand, but it was hard to focus on with the Darnold-mania that was running wild on the NFL last season.
It didn’t truly hit me that the Hitman could be gone until the final minutes of the Vikings’ Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, that we could be watching the final reps by #22. The very visibly emotional Harrison Smith in his post-game presser didn’t really help the situation, as it heavily implied that his time in the NFL was coming to an end.
Turns out, the man himself said that the decision to return in 2025 was much easier than the decision in 2024, and when the season ended the way it did against those Rams, that it’s “probably not the last time I’ll put on pads.”
Smith Returns to Minnesota (Again)
Plenty can be said about Harrison Smith’s career accumulated statistics and his ranks among the greats (infamously, his comparison to Troy Polamalu), however, this isn’t all about what he’s done leading up to this year…looking at what he’s done recently, though technically off the field, Smith cemented his status both in Vikings history and in Vikings fans’ hearts (as if he didn’t do that years ago already) when he took a $6.3 million pay cut in 2023, and a $5.5 million pay cut in March of this year (2024).
An Ode to Harrison Smith
Smith decided again to return to the Vikings in 2025, after taking time in each of 2022, 2023, and 2024 to ponder the same thought of retirement. This will be his 14th season in the NFL, with all of them, of course, being in Minnesota.
His re-worked contract in 2025 is a one-year agreement worth up to $10.25 million. Any incentives he earns, including the “Hitman to the Hall of Fame” incentive, where Smith will earn $500k if he has four interceptions this coming season, will hit the Vikings’ cap in 2026.
During the presentation of his contract signing earlier this offseason, Smith stated how the leadership of the organization, from the Wilf family down to head coach Kevin O’Connell, was paramount in his decision to return and “chase something this year.”
Harrison Smith: THE Minnesota Viking
“…if there is a list of players that deserve to go ring-chase as their career winds down, Harrison Smith is near the top of it. Even with that being the case, he chose to plant his flag and make it his intention to (most likely) end his career where it started during the 2012 NFL Draft.”
An Ode to Harrison Smith
This quote from my piece a year ago remains unchanged; each year that Smith had the option to hang it up and go be with his family, he kept coming back to try and finish what he started in 2012 with the Minnesota Vikings.
I can’t make it clearer to those around me, even my peers who know nothing about football, that Harrison Smith is my favorite football player of all time. He’s a quiet, funny dude from the southeast, and he’s the ultimate representation of putting your head down and going to work. He’s had flashy moments, but flashy isn’t his game; his game is in the dirty work, allowing the other players with more of a flashy athletic ability to shine, making everyone around him better while also solidly producing himself.
Not to mention, he’s the definition of pure, unbridled loyalty.
Harrison Smith Will End Where He Began
“…however, in the end, Harrison Smith solidified himself as one of, if not *the*, most beloved Vikings of all time by remaining loyal to the team that took a chance to him on draft night 12 years ago, as he will finish his career in Minnesota’s transitional era when he had every right not to.”
An Ode to Harrison Smith
Smith remains loyal to the team that drafted him 13 years ago, on April 26th of 2012, when I was just 12, going on 13 years old. I am now 25 going on 26 years old, and have also made it very clear that the first dog I call my own will don the name “Harrison”, or “Harry” for short, all because I’m an absolute geek that grew up watching #22 every Sunday during my own developmental years.
This isn’t the final time I’ll say it, but it may not ever be enough; thank you, Harrison Smith.
Vikings’ Third Round Selection is in Good Company