The Minnesota Vikings are getting closer to the start of the regular season, which means time is running out for Harrison Smith.
As the preseason winds down, there are no clues on whether the 37-year-old will suit up against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13 or if he’ll decide to retire. But even as the Vikings keep the door open for his return, rookie Jacob Thomas is trying his best to slam it shut.
Thomas has been one of the best stories of training camp, logging 10 total tackles and posting a 92.2 overall grade in two preseason games, according to PFF. His ascension continued in this past Saturday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, leading the Vikings with six tackles in the 13-3 loss.
The Vikings won’t forget about Smith, and if he decides to return, they’ll find a way to get him on the roster. But with Thomas trending toward a 53-man roster spot, it throws an unexpected curve into Minnesota’s safety room.
Jacob Thomas is making a strong case to make the Minnesota Vikings final 2026 roster
The Vikings entered training camp with big questions at safety as Smith decides his future. Many draft experts pegged Dillon Thieneman as a one-for-one replacement for Smith, but the Vikings waited until the third round to fill the need last April by selecting Miami’s Jakobe Thomas.
Jakobe Thomas hasn’t acclimated himself quickly as he works through a back injury, and with Josh Metellus and Jay Ward locked in to roster spots, Jacob Thomas has found himself battling for a spot on the back end along with Theo Jackson and Tavierre Thomas.
Tavierre Thomas’s ability on special teams gives him an advantage to make the team, but Jacob Thomas has made things interesting.
A former walk-on under Curt Cignetti at James Madison, Thomas worked his way to a starting role during the 2023 season and recorded 143 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, five interceptions and 10 pass defenses in his final two years.
As a former high school quarterback, Thomas has plenty of athleticism. But his instincts have been on display frequently over the offseason program, including an interception during the preseason opener against the New York Giants.
With two weeks of solid play, Thomas appears to have done enough to make the team, and it could make things interesting if Smith decides to return.
Minnesota Vikings deeper safety room could set up perfectly for Harrison Smith’s return
If Smith shows up to TCO Performance Center, so will one of the most impactful defensive players in franchise history. Smith leads all active players in the NFL with 39 interceptions going into this season, and his impact goes beyond statistics.
Someone who helps the Vikings be in the right place at the right time to make plays, getting Smith’s leadership back in the locker room, would be a huge boost for a team that has Super Bowl expectations.
But if Smith does come back, it will likely be at the cost of one of the other safeties. Ward and Metellus are safe, and Jakobe Thomas has an advantage as a high draft pick.
But Jacob Thomas’s emergence gives the Vikings four solid safeties on paper, leaving Tavierre Thomas or Theo Jackson as the odd man out.
This will be a good problem for the Vikings to have if Smith decides to return. But the silver lining out of this is that Smith can take his time and know that if he comes back, he may have a lighter load to carry.
This would also be a good thing. While Smith returned last year, he got off to a slow start due to a preseason illness.
The final five games of the year also saw Smith return to form, but he also did so against a series of teams that were either on the verge of being eliminated or already eliminated from playoff contention.
Adding another good safety into the mix gives the Vikings options no matter what Smith decides to do, and it could create a deeper safety room than many imagined as Minnesota prepares for the 2026 season.
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