Harrison Smith Has an Unusual Legacy Bonus in His Contract
For a while, it looked like C.J. Ham would take over as the longest-tenured Viking, stealing the achievement from safety Harrison Smith. When Ham was signed in 2016, the 2012-drafted Smith had already been a Pro Bowler.
Harrison Smith Has an Unusual Legacy Bonus in His Contract
After the depressing playoff defeat, the safety delivered a message that pointed toward him saying goodbye to the Vikings, the NFL, and the sport. “Appreciate the Vikings nation, everything they’ve always meant to me. Thank you,” Smith told Ben Leber (KFAN).
About two months later, he appeared in the news for running it back for another season.
Wednesday night, The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling revealed the contract details. It’s primarily a bunch of numbers.
Details of Harrison Smith’s new deal with the Vikings:
–$9.901M cap number
–$8M signing bonus, $2M base salary, up to $250K per-game roster bonus
—$25M base salary for 2027 is fully g’td if Smith is on the roster the 3rd day of the ‘26 LY (similar to his last deal)
—Up to $750K in incentives based on playing time (65%=$250K; 70%=$500K; 75%=$750K)
—There’s a “Hitman to the HOF” bonus that pays $500K if he gets 4 INTs in ‘25
—$500K bonus for 3 or more sacks
—$1M for 1st team All-Pro; $500K for 2nd team
—If he plays 75% of snaps, he can earn up to $1M on postseason success: $250K if Vikings win NFC title, $500K if Vikings win Super Bowl, $1M if VIkings win Super Bowl and Smith is named MVP while playing 75% of snaps in SB LX.
It’s essentially a one-year deal, just like last year. Next year, in the early offseason, the franchise and the safety can reevaluate the situation. The base salary number in 2026 shouldn’t be taken seriously.
What should be taken seriously, however, is that the veteran can earn a ton of money by turning back the clock and playing at his prime level (especially with a better team result).
Did you notice the sweet detail in Goessling’s list?
“There’s a ‘Hitman to the HOF’ bonus that pays $500K if he gets 4 INTs in ‘25”
The Vikings and the player are aware of the statistical influence when it comes to the Hall of Fame. Goessling was asked if the contract actually refers to a “Hitman to the HOF” policy, and he confirmed.
Smith has registered 37 interceptions in his long career. He reached four picks four times in his career, the last time in 2022 when he snatched five passes in Ed Donatell’s defense that had him playing more as a deep safety.
Minnesota’s future Ring of Honor inductee is the active leader with his 37 picks, trailed by Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson with 36 each.
Smith’s return is not only good for sentimental reasons, but he is also still a fantastic football player. Just last season, he logged 87 tackles, a sack, and three interceptions in 16 games. PFF credited him with an above-average grade of 67.7, ranking him 35th of 98 eligible safeties. Although he is no longer the superstar safety, he can still play.
Late in the 2023 season, defensive coordinator Brian Flores said about his student, “He’s very bright, he’s very talented. There is a want-to and a belief in himself and a belief in his skillset. He has really been awesome to work with. I think he’s Hall of Fame-worthy, I think he has already kind of, I don’t want to say cemented that but there should certainly be a conversation around that whenever he decides to move forward.”
The upcoming season could very well be Smith’s last hurrah. He’s 36 years old, and in a perfect world, he will hit the “Hitman to HOF” clause.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt