Minnesota Vikings lock up All-Pro safety Harrison Smith until 2026
By Adam Patrick
The Minnesota Vikings and safety Harrison Smith have reportedly agreed to a four-year extension that will keep him under contract until 2026.
From the moment he first stepped on the field for them against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2012 season, the Minnesota Vikings knew they had a special player in safety Harrison Smith.
Nine years later, the Vikings have made a move that has the potential to keep Smith in a purple and gold uniform for his entire NFL career.
On Sunday, Minnesota announced that the team and their All-Pro safety have agreed to an extension. The new deal reportedly adds four years and $64 million to Smith’s current contract with the Vikings according to multiple reports.
Who will get an extension from the Minnesota Vikings after Harrison Smith?
Minnesota giving their top safety an extension didn’t come as much of a surprise. With his previous deal set to expire after the upcoming season, the Vikings clearly didn’t want to take any chances by letting Smith hit free agency in 2022.
Now that his extension is complete, most believe Minnesota will turn their attention to extending right tackle Brian O’Neill next.
O’Neill’s contract is currently set to expire after this season, but the Vikings have reportedly been trying to figure out an extension for their talented offensive lineman during the last few weeks. It seems like there’s a good chance a deal could get done before Minnesota hits the field on September 12 for their regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
After O’Neill, who is the next Vikings player in line to get an extension from the team? Eric Kendricks? Possibly Danielle Hunter? Maybe something for Adam Thielen to lower his upcoming cap hits?
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2022 doesn’t look like it will be a big year for Minnesota players getting extensions. However, it won’t be long before the Vikings have to think about possible new deals for guys like Justin Jefferson, Irv Smith Jr., and even Garrett Bradbury if he performs better in 2021.