The Hitman will be back for another season
UPDATE: Pelissero is now reporting that Smith’s new deal is for $9 million, providing several million in cap space for the Vikings for this season.
A few weeks ago, we wondered in this space about how the Minnesota Vikings would handle safety Harrison Smith and his contract. Today, we have our answer.
Six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith has agreed to a restructured contract and will play a 13th season with the #Vikings at age 35, per sources.
The 29th overall pick in 2012, Smith has 34 career INTs, becoming one of the best safeties of his era… and he’s not done yet. pic.twitter.com/Wt1PjmlEzr
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 13, 2024
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network is reporting that Smith and the Vikings have agreed to a restructured deal that will bring him back to the Vikings for his 13th season in purple. The terms of the restructure have not yet been made available, but when they are we will add them to this story.
This will be the second straight offseason that has seen the Vikings rework Smith’s contract to facilitate bringing him back to the team. Smith took a pay cut last season so that the team could have some flexibility and keep him in the fold. He was set to have a cap number north of $19 million this season and $22 million in 2025, and the Vikings could have saved anywhere between $11 and $15 million in salary cap space this season by letting him go. I’d have to imagine both of those numbers are going to be significantly lower when the terms are announced.
Smith is the longest-tenured member of the Vikings, having been with the club since they drafted him with the 29th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He might not be quite what he was in his prime a few years ago, but his knowledge and leadership abilities are something that the team obviously values and decided it was worth bringing him back for.
What do you think of Harrison Smith staying in Minnesota, folks?
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