The last couple of offseasons, Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has seemed to seriously consider retirement. He returned for his 14th season, with a restructured contract that sort of foreshadowed 2025 could be the final season for the 36-year-old.
Then, Smith had what was only described as a personal health issue that sidelined him for most of training camp. That situation, leaving aside any football implications for the Vikings, made it easy to wonder if he would reconsider his decision to play this season in the interest of his overall health.
But when it came time for the initial 53-man roster to be decided, Smith was not placed on any list (IR, NFI, etc.) that would have sidelined him for a noticeable time into the season. He was also named a team captain again.
As easily expected, Smith missed the first two games of the season as he got himself back into football shape after his health issue. After an expected ramp-up, with 68 total defensive snaps over the first three games he played, he has started every game and played over 90 percent of the defensive snaps in eight of those nine games.
Smith's prime years are obviously behind him, but the eye test and deeper metrics this season show he has something left in the tank. It will be if he wants to keep playing in 2026, not if he can do so at a functional level.
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith cannot avoid questions about his future
After the Vikings' Week 15 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Smith joined "Sunday Night Football Final" on Peacock with Jac Collinsworth, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison.
Harrison, who himself played safety at a high level in the NFL for many years, asked Smith what his plan is after the season.
"I’m just enjoying day by day", Smith said. "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.”
Not that would have declared anything in a public forum like that, with three games left in the season, but Smith did not say he is retiring after the season. If anything, he left the door open to play next season.
If Smith does return for his 15th season in 2026, he would join a four-way tie for the third-most seasons anyone has played in a Vikings' uniform. Assuming he plays in each of the last three games this season, he would also enter next season just four games away from passing Fred Cox for the third-most games played in Vikings' history (behind only Jim Marshall and Mick Tingelhoff).
Speculation about what Smith will do after the season is set to ramp up again, and time will tell what he decides. But if he is aware of those aforementioned marks of longevity, durability and excellence in Vikings' history, and let's assume he is, coming back for one more season is in play.