Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith did not play like a man who needed to retire after this season.
Harrison Smith Hints at His Future after Vikings Loss
Once again — for the 13th consecutive season — Smith served as a bedrock of the Vikings’ defense. But his team exited stage left from the postseason, and Smith will turn 36 next month.
Unfortunately, Smith sounded like a man who recognized the end was near on Monday after Minnesota lost in the Wildcard Round to the Los Angeles Rams. “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.
Smith isn’t known for the dramatic — at all — so one day this offseason, he’ll either re-up with the Vikings or ride into the sunset. He also told Leber that 2024 was an “all-time high” of his career.
Here’s the full exchange:
Here’s another interview with Smith where he’s visibly emotional about the impending decision:
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.
Smith has experienced three Vikings coaches: Leslie Frazier, Mike Zimmer, and Kevin O’Connell, and is the longest-tenured Viking on the current roster by a mile.
He’ll turn 36 in 19 days.
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.