After announcing the Minnesota Vikings would cut veteran safety Harrison Smith as part of the June 1 procedural, the team is open to bringing him back. Due to his contract, Harrison Smith would be forced to be cut right before mandatory camp for the Vikings. However, the long-time Viking has been quiet for several months without any sign of what his future holds. While he’s been vocal about retirement the past two offseasons, the fact that Smith hasn’t said anything means he’s probably open to playing football for at least one more season. Selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, the former Notre Dame product was the oldest player on the Vikings roster.
However, Smith could entertain the idea of joining a new team. The six-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro has been one of the best safeties in the league, recording 39 interceptions, 106 pass deflections, 21.5 sacks and 1,180 total tackles. Harrison Smith isn’t the same he used to be, but he would be a perfect fit for a team that is ring chasing. The veteran doesn’t have a ring, so that is something he might be thinking about this offseason.
Vikings Open to Bringing Back Franchise Stalwart Harrison Smith; 3 Teams Could Interfere
Last season, Smith shared the field for the majority of the year with standout safety Josh Metellus, logging 85% of snap shares. While the team does have Theo Jackson and Jay Ward for depth, especially selecting Jakobe Thomas in this year’s draft, the team losing Smith would be a huge blow. It would open the door for Jackson to receive more opportunities, but the Vikings might be better off signing Smith immediately before he signs anywhere else once he becomes available next month.
Harrison Smith is no longer in his prime, but he’s a franchise player who could help a team advance to the championship scene.
Possible Landing Spots
Kansas City Chiefs
The most logical destination for Harrison Smith would be the Kansas City Chiefs. The team lost too many secondary threats, including Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, due to cap space. They were also forced to move on from Bryan Cook, but they’ve made up for it, signing Alohi Gilman to a three-year deal. Despite that, there’s still some room for bolstering. The Chiefs selected CB Mansoor Delane with the first-round pick, but Smith could be the perfect piece to mentor this group that’s getting younger.
With Cook gone, the team will have to lean on Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks, but they don’t have to. Harrison Smith would be the ideal fit to pair with Gilman as the starting safety.
New England Patriots
Speaking of championships, the Patriots were close to one before losing in what almost was a blowout to Seattle in the Super Bowl. The team lost Jaylinn Hawkins to the Baltimore Ravens and found an immediate replacement in Kevin Byard, the former Chicago Bear standout safety. However, Byard is 33 years old, and even though they also have Craig Woodson, the team would benefit from depth even if it’s temporary. Harrison Smith would be a perfect short-term “plug-in” for this Patriots defense that has one of the best secondaries, led by CB Christian Gonzalez.
Chicago Bears
Similar to the Chiefs, the Bears lost several key defenders, including Byard, Jaquan Brisker and Jonathan Owens. They also lost Nahshon Wright and CJ Gardner-Johnson, but they signed Coby Bryant while selecting Dillon Thieneman in the first round. Harrison Smith won’t single-handedly carry this secondary on his back, but the Bears are missing a veteran presence. Smith is the obvious perfect candidate who can be the new voice in the Bears locker room.
