After a wait that encompassed nearly the entire offseason, Harrison Smith is returning to the Minnesota Vikings for a 15th NFL season. But this is about more than simply playing one more year.
Smith is also looking to reinforce a Hall of Fame resume that may already be worthy of Canton. After months of his playing status being in question, this will almost surely be his final NFL season and his last chance to strengthen his case while fully cementing his place among the greatest players in Vikings history.
He needs to play four games to move into third place for the most games played in a Vikings uniform, and a 15th season will tie him for the third-most in franchise history. It's safe to assume he is keenly aware of those milestones.
Smith also has a unique career production profile. With 39 career interceptions and 21.5 career sacks, he is already in rare company when it comes to versatility. One more interception would give him another notable achievement for Hall of Fame voters to consider.
That said, it can be hard to fully quantify how well a safety is performing. The mental demands of the position are high, and on-the-fly communication with teammates is required. Sometimes it's as much about what the offense was unable to do as it is about any specific play someone like Smith made.
In no current defensive scheme are those intangible things more visible than in the amoeba vision of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. But those things don't show up on an individual stat sheet to bolster someone's resume in the same way an interception or a sack does.
Will playing a 15th season do anything for Harrison Smith's Hall of Fame case?
With one more interception, which would be the 40th of his career, Smith would become the third member of the 40-interception, 20-sack club in NFL history. The other two, Charles Woodson and Ronde Barber, are in the Hall of Fame.
Smith has earned six Pro Bowl selections and one First Team All-Pro nod in his career. Let's safely assume he won't be adding to either of those marks this year, while taking a look at some recent Hall of Fame inductees at the safety position.
Barber, a 2023 Hall of Fame inductee with 47 career interceptions and 28 sacks. was a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time First Team All-Pro.
LeRoy Butler, who got his bust in Canton in 2022, was a four-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First-Team All-Pro. His career stats, 38 interceptions and 20.5 sacks, are very similar to Smith's.
Troy Polamalu, who was inducted in 2020, earned eight Pro Bowl nods and four First Team All-Pro selections. Smith also has more sacks and interceptions than the Head and Shoulders pitchman (32 and 12, respectively), and did so over the same number of seasons played (12).
A difference, along with fewer First Team All-Pro nods, that could work against Smith compared to those recent Hall of Fame safeties is Super Bowl rings. Polamalu has two, while Barber and Butler each have one. Smith has only eight playoff games on his resume, with one ugly NFC Championship Game appearance.
Smith may be able to add to his Hall of Fame resume in the margins this season, with a couple more interceptions, maybe a sack or two, etc. But if you think he's a Hall of Famer now, that will remain the case. And if you don't think he's a Hall of Famer, nothing he'll do in his 15th season should change that stance.
When it comes down to it, beyond his desire to play one more year, Smith's return is largely about fully asserting his place in Vikings history in terms of games and seasons played. A resume that should put him in Canton exists now, and it will exist just as much when the season is over.
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