Vikings Legend Shares Hopeful Harrison Smith Take
The Minnesota Vikings are currently in “wait-and-see” mode when it comes to Harrison Smith. Minnesota released Harrison Smith earlier this offseason with a post-June 1st designation as not to trigger a massive cap guarantee that would be owed to him. It was purely a procedural release.
This release gave the Vikings some cap room to make various maneuvers this offseason, and it also gave Smith some time to sit back and ponder about continuing his playing career. If he is to continue in the NFL, then 2026 would be his 15th season with the Minnesota Vikings. His long-tenured career that’s been full of great moments and solid play has absolutely put him onto the short list of the greatest Vikings players of all time.
All the Vikings and their fans can do is sit back and wait for Smith’s decision. There is no current timeline for that decision to be made public, and it’s obvious that Harrison is no rush to give it. The Vikings are still a little over a month away from the beginning of July’s training camp. You could argue that he probably doesn’t need to go through it. He knows the defense and he knows how to play football. But, it would be beneficial that if he were to return, he gets conditioned to an NFL level.
Former Vikings LB Ben Leber Shares Opinion on Harrison Smith Return
Former Vikings LB Ben Leber recently shared what he thinks could happen in the end with Harrison Smith on his personal YouTube channel.
“I could see him coming back and saying, ‘Okay, I’ll use the bye week to sort of make sure that I’m in football shape. Maybe be on a snap count for the first game or two after that.”
And then after that, he’s playing full-time. But I get the sense that he’s not done. He’ll play for part of the season, but I think that’s a major factor because we saw what happens when he’s not in the lineup.”
It looks like the Vikings legend and yours truly may be aligned on the timeline of a Harrison Smith return.
While some Vikings fans may want Smith to stay off the roster to focus on younger players like Jay Ward and Jakobe Thomas, it feels like there would be a bit of a gaping hole in the Vikings’ secondary without Harrison Smith.
Vikings’ Safety Room Without Harrison Smith
The Vikings’ safety room may have some young potential, but there isn’t a lot to love in terms of contributing in 2026.
- Theo Jackson
- Josh Metellus
- Jay Ward
- Tavierre Thomas
- Jakobe Thomas
- Jacob Thomas
- Kahlef Hailassie
Sure, names like Theo Jackson and Josh Metellus have proven they can provide solid play when called upon. The issue is that Metellus is more of a lability if he’s play deep safety. If Harrison Smith, who can do everything, doesn’t come back, then we will have to hope that Jay Ward or Jakobe Thomas are ready to step into those shoes.
We can take comfort in the fact that Brian Flores is the defensive coordinator. He will surely maximize all of the talent in the room, but he would also love to have Harrison Smith back.
