When Harrison Smith returned two weeks ago from addressing his personal issues, all Minnesota Vikings fans were excited to have him back.
Smith has been a legend within the franchise since they drafted him in the first round back in 2012. He has since made six Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 2017. Vikings fans would agree that Smith is everything this franchise has needed in its veteran defender over the last 14 years.
His return in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals was highly anticipated, but expectations were tamed quickly as everyone knew he had to work his way back into football shape. Smith played 22 total snaps in the 48-10 win over Cincinnati, as he only made one pass deflection.
Expectations were going to be higher entering a critical Week 4 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Vikings fans figured it was going to be more Smith in the secondary. Not quite. In fact, it was worse than the 22 snaps.
Smith's decrease in playing time is starting to get Minnesota Vikings fans wondering
Statistically, it was a better day at the office for Smith as he racked up three tackles in their 24-21 loss to the Steelers. The problem is that his snap count decreased from 22 in Week 3 to 17 in Week 4.
As ESPN Vikings Kevin Seifert explained, "Harrison Smith has been a sub package player in each of his first two games back from a personal health issue. He recorded 17 snaps Sunday in Dublin after playing 22 in Week 3 vs. Bengals. That's roughly 35% of the Vikings' defensive snaps over the 2-week period."
While the safety that replaced him in the starting lineup, Theo Jackson, was tied with the most defensive snaps on the team, with fellow safety Josh Metellus, with 53. How is Jackson getting nearly three times the snaps that Smith is getting?
To put it bluntly, Jackson has been playing well this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson has an overall grade of 74, ranking 27th out of 125 safeties in the NFL.
Metellus is becoming a key piece to the Vikings' defense and will likely remain so for a long time after the team locked him in on a three-year contract extension in the Summer. He's currently third on the team in tackles (23) and tied for the lead in pass deflections (two).
The reality is that the Vikings might have their secondary of the future already intact with Metellus and Jackson taking over as the top safeties. Smith makes for a great reverse player, but unless there are any injuries, there might not be a need for him to play most of the snaps anymore.
It's a tough pill to swallow as Vikings fans love Smith, but entering the twilight of his career, he is closer to retirement than some might think. Apparently, the franchise is feeling the same way without saying it out loud.