Rumor: Harrison Smith could be the next Vikings player to get extended

A recent report seems to indicate that the All-Pro safety could be the next member of the Minnesota Vikings to get a contract extension.

During Rick Spielman’s tenure as the team’s general manager, the Minnesota Vikings have made it a priority to reward the top players on their roster. Since 2012, the Vikings have given out a total of 18 multi-year extensions and the majority of these deals have resulted in some pretty positive outcomes.

One of these players who earned himself a contract extension in 2016 is current Minnesota safety Harrison Smith. After getting his deal with Minnesota extended, all Smith has done in a Vikings uniform is earn three straight trips to the Pro Bowl and one First-Team All-Pro selection.

His current contract doesn’t expire until 2022, but the veteran safety could potentially be in line for another extension sooner than later to help Minnesota create some more cap space.

According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson on Thursday, the Vikings and Smith could both be interested in talking a potential contract extension, “real soon.”

Currently, Smith’s average salary ($10.25 million) is the sixth-highest of any safety in the NFL. Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu both signed new deals this offseason that will pay them around $14 million each year and there is no reason to believe that the Minnesota safety can’t get that kind of money in his next contract.

Since the Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Smith has developed into one of the most important pieces of the team’s defense. Since Zimmer became Minnesota’s head coach, the veteran safety has taken his game to an elite level and he is arguably the best at his position in the league.

Smith seems like a player that could potentially spend his entire career in a Vikings uniform. Minnesota can take the next step to make that happen by giving him an extension in the near future.