The Stakes for Harrison Smith in 2025
Entering the 2025 season, the Minnesota Vikings will be littered with new faces throughout their starting lineup. From Hall of Famers to practice squad players, staying with one organization for an entire career is getting harder and harder to come by in the NFL.
Harrison Smith enters year No. 14 in 2025 and has some mighty stakes.
That makes the story of one current Viking even more unique than just his Hall of Fame resume.
Harrison Smith is entering his 14th season in Minnesota. In 192 total career games, the longtime Vikings safety has been named All-Pro twice, totaling 37 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles, 1,126 tackles, 20.5 sacks, and 4 touchdowns.
With an already impressive career, Smith will surely find himself in the Vikings Ring of Honor and NFL Hall of Fame whenever he decides to hang up the cleats. Prepping for what could be his final season, here is what’s at stake for “The Hitman.”
Solidifying a future trip to Canton, OH
Getting the call to the Hall of Fame separates good NFL careers from legendary ones. Anyone who’s seen The Sandlot knows that “heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”
Smith already had plenty of heroic moments in purple, but his 2025 campaign could help cement his legendary status. The argument can be made that what the 36-year-old accomplished in his first 13 seasons should already warrant a one-way ticket to Canton.
Despite consistently being one of the most slept on safeties throughout the last decade, Smith has quietly been one of the best at the position since his rookie season in 2012.
Being one of only seven defensive backs in the history of the NFL to total over 30 interceptions and 20 sacks is beyond impressive. Adding a few more in each category throughout the 2025 season would only help his odds of a future Hall of Fame speech. It seems likely that induction will come, but one more solid season would only strengthen the odds.
Potentially the last year to chase a Super Bowl
The one thing that Smith lacks in the Hall of Fame argument is, unfortunately, the same thing that many Vikings players inducted have also lacked – a Super Bowl victory. This shouldn’t be nearly as make-or-break for a trip to Canton as it would be at the Quarterback position, but it would help strengthen his argument when comparing him to other greats like Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed.
Winning a Super Bowl is not easy, and the Vikings are entering a new era with J.J. McCarthy (more to come on this later). Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added several new additions on defense throughout free agency and the draft, a benefit that stems from having a quarterback on a rookie deal.
If McCarthy can hit the ground running and stay healthy for the full season, it seems like the Vikings roster is good enough to make a run with all of the talent around him. A savvy veteran like Smith leading the Vikings’ secondary should help solidify a unit that will be forced to have new faces starting in 2025.
A Super Bowl has been, and always will be, the ultimate goal for a state starving for a championship. So many past and present Vikings players have had great careers, but missed out on that ultimate goal. Over the last decade-plus, there hasn’t been a player in Minnesota who’s more deserving to hoist a championship trophy than Smith.
Another year, another young safety to mentor
Throughout his 13 seasons, Smith has played alongside a handful of other safeties. From Andrew Sendejo and Anthony Harris to more recent players like Josh Metellus and Cam Bynum, Smith has been the only true constant in the Vikings’ secondary over the last decade.
In 2025, a new name will be added to the above list. Theo Jackson is set to step into a larger role since Bynum signed with the Colts earlier this offseason. With the consistency that Smith brings to the back half of the defense, he’s made it easier for new members to slide into a starting role alongside him.
Smith questioned the Titans’ decision to let Jackson walk a few years ago. He also said, “Literally, he’s always making plays.”
That’s pretty high praise coming from a likely future Hall of Famer. It seems as if “The Hitman” approves of his new mentee, giving him all the praise in the world before even taking over the position opposite of him.
It should also be noted that Jackson stepped in for an injured Smith last season and finished that game with a sealing interception.
Given the high praise from Smith, the new contract from the Vikings, and his limited but solid past experience, it feels like Jackson is set up to find success in his new role. He’ll have a great mentor in Smith, showing him the ropes.
Another “era” shift, the beginning of J.J. McCarthy’s legacy
Given how long Smith has been in Minnesota, the amount of turnover he’s seen since 2012 is normal. New coaches, new GMs, plenty of new players and new quarterbacks, and a few different eras.
Being able to navigate these situations while staying loyal to the organization is pretty impressive. Since Kevin O’Connell took over in 2022, it feels like a shift has happened to make the Vikings much more of a “player-focused” franchise.
O’Connell went on record this offseason talking about Smith’s role in his coaching journey.
The respect Smith has earned from his fellow players and the head coach should be worth noting. He’s a dominant force on the gridiron, and the people around him seem to cherish his presence.
Players like this are critical to keep locker rooms steady, and the Vikings will need that while navigating a season with a 22-year-old quarterback leading the way. Sure, McCarthy and Smith are on opposite sides of the ball, but having that veteran leadership across from him in practice should only help the young quarterback ascend.
Not only will McCarthy get to practice against the future Hall of Famer every day, but he’ll also be able to pick his brain in the film room. McCarthy’s teammates have talked about his intense film studying and how he strives to understand how defenders watch film, too.
There’s no better player in the NFL than Smith to seek to understand from. If you figure out what a Swiss-Army knife player style does in a Brian Flores defense, it feels like the rest of the film study should be a breeze.
And if anyone was worried about the age gap of 14 years, just know McCarthy and Smith were already tearing up the golf course together at the NFLPA Classic earlier this year.
Smith has a lot at stake as he enters what could be his final season not only in Minnesota, but on a football field altogether. He’s battled with the retirement decision the last two offseasons, and thankfully, he decided to return for at least one more year.
All things considered, if year 14 really is the final chapter, it’s been an absolute honor watching Smith play his entire career in the great state of Minnesota. Regardless of what happens in 2025, Smith should already be on his way to Canton, OH, whenever he really does decide to call it a career.
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