Monday was a hefty payday for 27-year-old Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith.
The four-year veteran out of Notre Dame inked a five year, $51.25 million deal to stay with the Vikings. Harrison Smith’s new contract makes him the second-highest paid safety in the league, behind only Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs. The five-year contract will yield an annual salary of $10.25 million and a full guarantee of $15.27 million. The deal also includes a $28.578 million injury guarantee. It seems the safety negotiated a modest full guarantee to ensure the highest possible injury guarantee.
For #Vikings S Harrison Smith, he's now the highest paid safety. On his 5-yr, $51.25M deal, its a $10M signing bonus. 3-year avg of $10.75M
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 6, 2016
Harrison Smith Re-Signs with Minnesota Vikings
Since arriving in Minnesota, Harrison Smith has averaged 80 tackles per year and has become one of the league’s better safeties. The 27 year old is coming off of his first Pro Bowl season, despite only appearing in 13 games. During those games, he notched 66 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions. Smith missed three games during the 2015-16 season due to a knee injury. This was the second time in Smith’s career in which he did not play a full season after appearing in only 8 games during the 2014 season.
Harrison Smith’s hefty price may become a bargain for the Minnesota Vikings, who face three gunslinging quarterbacks each year in the NFC North. In addition, Smith’s payday comes before the expected lucrative deals that Eric Berry and Tyrann Mathieu may negotiate.
Harrison Smith was the 29th overall pick during the 2012 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Smith was a captain in 2011 for Notre Dame and he is the only player in Notre Dame history to eclipse over 200 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 15 pass breakups. Smith left school leading or tied in nearly every defensive category among active Irish players. In his collegiate career, Smith also saw time as a linebacker.
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