Questions Answered: Harrison Smith’s Retirement, RB in Round 1 for Vikings, Will Reichard
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the January 31st edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Harrison Smith’s Retirement, RB in Round 1 for Vikings, Will Reichard
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: Do you think Harrison Smith will retire for good?
Answer: We think Smith will spin the wheel one more time.
A source tells VikingsTerritory that Smith is “50-50” about retiring or coming back for Year No. 14, which feels like an upgrade after his postgame comments following Minnesota’s playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber asked Smith what was next for him in the offseason that Monday night, and he replied, “I don’t know. Probably chill out for a little bit, figure that out down the road.”
“I haven’t wanted to think about it, kind of selfishly live in the moment, and I’m kind of still in that moment. It’ll come when it comes,” Smith said.
Because Brian Flores is trending to return as defensive coordinator, we’ll go with Smith returning for a final hurrah in 2025 as a prediction.
Q: Would you support Minnesota drafting a running back in Round 1?
Answer: Yes.
Ashton Jeanty probably won’t be on the board, but if the Vikings value a non-Jeanty halfback with a 1st-Round grade, we absolutely support it.
Minnesota can do both this offseason — re-sign Aaron Jones or add a tailback like Javonte Williams — while using the draft for a youthful runner.
Meanwhile, the franchise finally has Top 10 available cap space, so it can fix the offensive and defensive lines in free agency if it prefers.
We wouldn’t endorse a trade up the draftboard for Jeanty, but adding an elite RB will disappoint nobody once he gets on the field on Sundays.
Q: Did you see enough from Will Reichard to be confident in him as the long-term solution?
Answer: Yes.
Kickers miss, and that’s what Reichard did a few times down the stretch of the 2024 season. He was perfect for about half the season.
Reichard would never stay flawless forever, so it’s perhaps a good thing that he got his late-season struggles out of the way. It would be criminal to get a new kicker after Reichard’s promising rookie season.
Truth be told, we actually feel great about Reichard.
Ex-Vikings QB Takes New Job
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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