Kevin O’Connell Provided a Blunt Harrison Smith Clue
The Minnesota Vikings have answered most of the questions asked over the last few months, including the identities of the QB reinforcement and the GM. One burning question remains, however: Harrison Smith’s future.
Smith, 37, has yet to make his retirement call. He received a standing ovation at the end of last season, as folks suspected a farewell could be on the horizon. In recent years, when the same mystery existed, he eventually returned for another campaign. Whether he does this year remains an unknown, but Kevin O’Connell appears to have an idea.
Asked about the longest-tenured Viking, head coach Kevin O’Connell first joked: “The only update that I can give is he was in town and saw some folks. I didn’t get to see him. I was incredibly hurt by that. And then, in an attempt to play some golf with him, I was turned down. That’s the only update, kind of in an embarrassing fashion, I’m willing to give today.”
Of course, a follow-up question would come. Asked whether he still wants to play, O’Connell said, “You know what, I think Harrison Smith is going to want to play football until he’s old and gray, which, last time I checked, had not happened yet. It never quite goes away, I mean, shoot, I wish I could go play. I think it’s probably a deeper conversation than just the ‘want to’ at this point. Those conversations will take place, respectfully for Harrison, throughout the summer.”
O’Connell added that it could be an “ongoing thing” and mentioned that how the season is going could play a role. In theory, a mid-season return is possible.
Regardless, that sounded a lot like O’Connell suspects Smith would love to keep playing, but the body has to play along.
Thankfully, Smith revealed in December, “I’m just enjoying day by day. You know how it is, when you’re getting towards your later years, it’s harder to go to practice, harder to get ready to go every time. On gameday, I always feel ready. I’ve always been on top of my body — my nutrition. Everything. It’s not fancy or anything, but you stay on top of it — it stacks up over the years.”
Picked in the first round of the 2012 draft, Smith has been the anchor of various iterations of the Vikings’ defenses over the last 14 years, playing under three head coaches and even more defensive coordinators.
Over the years, he has played in a bunch of games. In 2025, Smith missed the first couple of matchups due to a mysterious illness but was able to suit up for the remaining 15 games. He started 12 of them, as the Vikings slowly inserted him back into the lineup rather than giving him the full workload.
Smith used his 793 defensive snaps to register 54 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and a pair of interceptions. Though he has certainly lost a step or two, he is still often in the right position because he has seen it all in 207 regular-season games.
Furthermore, defensive coordinator Brian Flores deployed him as his quarterback, who can make calls ahead of the snap to adjust the defense to the offensive looks. The Vikings once again field one of the best defenses in football, and Smith’s voice certainly played a role.
Due to the uncertainty, the Vikings kept their safety room together, led by Joshua Metellus, followed by rotational pieces Jay Ward and Theo Jackson. In the draft, interim GM Rob Brzezinski used a third-rounder to acquire Jakobe Thomas out of Miami.
We haven’t heard from Smith since the end of last season. He’s generally a private person. In previous offseasons, he eventually just showed up, or a reporter said he would. The future Ring of Honor inductee is not a man for any flashy announcements.
At this point, it’s just a guessing game, but reading between the lines, the Vikings might be cautiously optimistic that he’ll be back at some point.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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