Vikings Offseason Awaits Next Big Domino
The Minnesota Vikings have knocked down a couple of major offseason dominoes.
Vikings Offseason Awaits Next Big Domino
The club extended Kevin O’Connell for the long haul, is reportedly near a similar agreement with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and will welcome defensive coordinator Brian Flores back for a third season after Flores failed to earn a head coaching job.
And while the franchise has other large questions to solve — the QB1 choice between Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, improving the offensive and defensive trenches, and finding two startable cornerbacks — the next domino involves safety Harrison Smith.
His domino is quite simple: Will he be back for Year No. 14, or will he retire?
Smith sounded like a man who recognized the end was near after Minnesota lost in the Wildcard Round to the Los Angeles Rams last month. “Appreciate the Vikings nation, everything they’ve always meant to me. Thank you,” Smith told former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, a KFAN employee.
Minnesota’s defense ranked second in the NFL per EPA/Play this season, and Smith was a consistent starter in the secondary. He was not “one of those” old defenders who played sparingly.
Smith added, “There’s a lot that goes into this. It’s not strictly players. I just want to give my thanks to everybody that makes it go. Obviously, I wish we could’ve had a better result today, but it’s a tough pill to swallow right now. It’s been one of the most fun teams I’ve ever played on in any level. There’s a lot to be said about this group, and I really just wish I had a couple more weeks with them, to be honest.”
Leber asked Smith what was next for him in the offseason, 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.
Minnesota drafted Smith from Round 1 of the 2012 NFL Draft, one of the best choices in franchise history. He’s never played anywhere else nor even really flirted with the idea when his contract was up.
If Smith does retire, Minnesota will attempt to solve this safety room. These are the safeties currently under contract for 2025:
- Josh Metellus
- Jay Ward
And then that’s it.
Two sources tell VikingsTerritory that Smith is “50-50” about retirement or returning, which is rather optimistic after his comments following the loss to Los Angeles.
Smith should nonchalantly announce his decision in the next few weeks.
He turned 36 a week ago.
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 Vikings 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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