The Minnesota Vikings started OTAs this week, and June 1 now looms next week. While there have been sentiments and signs pointing in both directions, we have not yet heard from Harrison Smith himself regarding whether he is going to suit up for a 15th season or not.
What we do know is that the time for that answer to officially come, one way or the other, is going to be here in short order. The team, despite head coach Kevin O'Connell being intentionally vague in deference to giving an all-time great in franchise history the time he needs to make a decision, presumably knows what way Smith is leaning.
Of course, Smith is not technically on the Vikings' roster right now. He is a free agent and could sign with any team that wants him, but there's no way he's going to do anything other than wear Purple in 2026--if he plays.
Latest Harrison Smith update invites a new potential scenario for Minnesota Vikings
On Thursday's episode of SKOR North's "Purple Daily" podcast, the Vikings with or without Smith was an easy topic. Right off the bat, KSTP's Darren Wolfson shared what he's hearing about Smith suiting up this season.
"On Harrison Smith. Will he be back for a 15th season? My understanding is he is staying in shape. So, like, we can't rule out retirement whatsoever. I had a conversation post-OTA day with Josh Metellus. Josh told me Harrison was recently in town. Josh and Harrison bonded."
Metellus saying Smith was recently in town aligns with what safety Jakobe Thomas said during rookie minicamp about having had some contact with Smith. Wolfson passed along how Metellus said Smith told him he's now the "old man" in the secondary room, in terms of time with the Vikings.
Wolfson continued, with a scenario that hasn't necessarily been put out there before.
"I continue to wonder, is it a situation where Harrison Smith joins the team like midseason? Like, let's see how the first handful of weeks go. What do more Jay Ward snaps look like? How's Metellus playing? Theo Jackson? How 'bout the rookie Thomas? Is there a role for him?
What about Harrison Smith back end of the season? Something along those lines. He maintains the shape he needs to be in. He does all his stuff off to the side, but doesn't need to go through the grind of training camp.
I've wondered about that for a while. And the fact that I can't rule out retirement at this point, it just makes me wonder if he plays like half a season. If that's even a possibility."
As Wolfson noted, if the Vikings are "3-5, eight games in", it probably wouldn't make sense for Smith to make a return in the middle of the season.
As the discussion went on, and co-host Judd Zulgad suggested Smith has a "[Brett] Favre-ian addiction to Sundays" and would likely want to come back before Week 1 if he's going to come back, Wolfson settled on it being "more likely" Smith plays this season than he doesn't.
As has been the case all along, on the assumption he plays this season, it's a question of timing for Smith. He surely doesn't want to be (or need to be) at voluntary OTAs or mandatory minicamp. Day 1 of training camp, or training camp at all, isn't likely to be placed on him as a requirement to be present for either.
Whenever Smith would like to officially re-sign and show up, the Vikings will welcome him. There would certainly be logical lines drawn somewhere, at a certain week or what the team's record is, but if he wanted to wait until midway into the season to come back, the Vikings would presumably be open to that idea.
Maybe that's part of the discussions when he and O'Connell have talked?
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