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Safety Harrison Smith of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings are still awaiting a Harrison Smith decision on his potential return. This is not a new song-and-dance, as Smith has contemplated for 3 or 4 off-seasons in a row now.
Many expected the Vikings to draft Dillon Thieneman in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. In a perfect world, the Oregon safety would’ve been a worthy successor to Smith. However, that’s not how the Vikings felt, and they ended up taking Caleb Banks instead.
They also felt the same about Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The Vikings had 3 total shots at the Toledo safety. Once at 18, once at 49, and then at 51 after a trade-down from 49 with the Panthers.
The Vikings eventually settled on Miami safety Jakobe Thomas at pick 98, who could start from Day 1.
Still, there is no confirmation whether or not Harrison Smith is a goner. Dustin Baker of Vikings Territory recently shared some words from ESPN about it.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 25: Dallas Turner #15 of the Minnesota Vikings is congratulated by Harrison Smith #22 after a tackle against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 25, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert recently touched on the pending decision of Smith’s about retirement.
“Will safety Harrison Smith return? At the end of the season, all signs were pointing toward the longtime Vikings safety retiring after 14 seasons. But free agency and now the draft have come and gone, and Smith hasn’t made any public pronouncements.
The Vikings released him March 11 but have let him know that they would welcome him back if he decides to play in 2026. The team drafted safety Jakobe Thomas in the third round, but there have been no other notable additions at the position. The Vikings will move on if they have to, but they know they will have a better defense with Smith back on the field.”
Harrison Smith is technically a free agent with the ability to sign with anyone. However, the expectation is that if he continues his career, it’ll be in the Twin Cities where he’s been since 2012.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 07: Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts during the second half against the Washington Commanders at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Dustin Baker of Vikings Territory gave his own insight, as well as some words from ESPN.
“O’Connell also updated the Smith return-or-retire agenda last week, saying, ‘It’s been a few days, but now that you remind me, I’ll probably bug him today. It’s something where we’re still trying to give Harrison as much space as possible, and I think he’s earned that. If it’s anything at this point, it’s seeing how he’s doing, seeing how his family is, seeing how his golf game is.’
Most onlookers expected that Smith would’ve retired by now — if he planned to retire in the first place this offseason. It’s also worth noting that Smith has joked in the past that no one would know when he retired because he wouldn’t be overly vocal about it. Perhaps that’s unfolding before your very eyes.”
Smith would surely be welcomed back to the Vikings with open arms.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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