Harrison Smith Appears to Spill the Beans
Longtime Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith did not play on Monday Night Football, nursing an undisclosed injury and watching as his team defeated the Chicago Bears by three points in a thriller.
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith didn’t play in Week 1, but after his comments on Wednesday, the man might’ve spilled the beans.
Regarding Smith, all attention has turned to Week 2, a Sunday Night Football meeting with the Atlanta Falcons, and the man sounds like he’s planning to give it a go in practice to determine his status.
Did Harrison Smith Let the Cat out of the Bag?
The Vikings’ legend may be all systems go — sort of.
Harrison Smith … Sounds Tentatively Ready to Practice
Reporters asked Smith if he would practice this week ahead of Vikings-Falcons, and he replied, ‘I’m just going to get out there and see how much I can handle and go from there. I’ve already moved around and moving around well, it’s just volume, conditioning, stuff like that.”
Smith could’ve sat out practice all week — his injury, in general, is not known — but the man will test his readiness on Thursday and Friday.
A Mystery Ailment
Smith has not formally practiced beyond walkthroughs in one month. Minnesota has kept his injury status under wraps, only calling it a personal matter, which is fair. Sources told VikingsTerritory that Smith was battling a hernia, but later clarified it as hemorrhoids.
In any event, Smith was not placed on injured reserve, and his situation will remain fluid.
Week 1 without Smith
Sans Smith at Soldier Field, Minnesota relied on a healthy dose of Theo Jackson, a newly-appointed starter, and Jay Ward, a 4th-Rounder from the 2023 NFL Draft.
Ward especially performed well, tallying a 77.1 Pro Football Focus grade, even laying the wood late in the game with a legal hit on Bears wideout D.J. Moore. After settling in on the second drive — Caleb Williams and friends marched on the first pretty effortlessly — Minnesota’s defense clamped.
Williams still showcased his signature escapability, but the defense mostly did its job to start the season.
Smith’s Durability Resume
Outside of his second season, 2013 when Smith missed nine games, the defensive back is known for durability. He tends to miss a game here and there, which is standard in the NFL, but prolonged absences aren’t really a thing for Smith.
That mentality jibes with his verbiage on Wednesday — practicing in Eagan to see if he can play on Sunday against the Falcons. Smith has missed just six games since the start of 2020.
Notes on Theo Jackson Filling In on MNF
Zone Coverage‘s Wyatt Wade noted on Jackson substituting for Smith on Monday night: “In their big win over the Chicago Bears to start the 2025 season, the Minnesota Vikings entered the game without Christian Darrisaw and Harrison Smith, cornerstone players in pivotal roles. They lost another, Blake Cashman, to a hamstring injury in the second half.”
“On the defensive side of the ball, Harrison Smith is battling an illness and didn’t travel with the team, leaving an already questionable defensive backfield meaningfully thinner. Theo Jackson, who is entering his fourth season in the league, played in his place. Although his name wasn’t mentioned much, if at all, Jackson helped contain Chicago’s passing offense and made three tackles.”
Jackson had bided his time for three seasons as a practice squader and backup before earning the starting job this season.
Wade continued, “D.J. Moore burned him earlier in the game, but Jackson came up big in the fourth quarter. He shoved a scrambling Caleb Williams out of bounds at the one-yard line, saving a touchdown before the Bears scored on the next play.”
“However, by forcing Williams to run one more play, Jackson helped take precious time off the clock when the Vikings were up late, 27-17. Jackson was a valuable asset to the Vikings’ defense and the right choice to back up an ailing Smith.”
Smith will turn 37 next February.
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