There’s a Harrison Smith Deadline

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith will either retire this offseason or return for Year No. 14.

There’s a Harrison Smith Deadline

In theory, he could be released by the Vikings and play for another team, but he probably would’ve pursued that angle by now.

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

And thanks to Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling, Vikings fans have some clarity on Smith’s offseason. Goessling published an article this week detailing a deadline of sorts for Smith’s 2025 decision, and a deadline emerged. Minnesota basically has until March 14th to choose a path for Smith if he hasn’t retired by then.

Goessling wrote, “Smith, 36, has a league minimum base salary of $1.255 million for 2025. But here’s where it gets tricky to bring him back: If he’s on the roster by the third day of the 2025 league year, his $25 million base salary for 2026 is fully guaranteed.”

Smith played quite well in 2024, his 13th in the NFL, and most want him back for one final hurrah.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.

“In other words, there’s a deadline for the Vikings to either restructure his contract or for the team and Smith to make a final decision about whether he’ll be back for a 14th season in Minnesota,” Goessling added.

NFL free agency kicks off March 10th, a Monday, with “legal tampering,” so a decision will be in order by the end of that week. Because of Minnesota’s contractual restructuring maneuvers with Smith, that $25 million base salary is on the books. And there’s just no way that he’ll play for that mammoth number. If Smith does not retire, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will presumably rework his contract for one year.

Smith sounded like a man who recognized the end was near after Minnesota lost in the Wildcard Round to the Los Angeles Rams last month. “Appreciate the Vikings nation, everything they’ve always meant to me. Thank you,” Smith told former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, a KFAN employee.

Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports.

Minnesota’s defense ranked second in the NFL per EPA/Play this season, and Smith was a consistent starter in the secondary. He was not “one of those” old defenders who played sparingly.

Smith added, “There’s a lot that goes into this. It’s not strictly players. I just want to give my thanks to everybody that makes it go. Obviously, I wish we could’ve had a better result today, but it’s a tough pill to swallow right now. It’s been one of the most fun teams I’ve ever played on in any level. There’s a lot to be said about this group, and I really just wish I had a couple more weeks with them, to be honest.”

For the first time, when asked about his future that night, Smith truly resembled a man near the end of his playing career. Perhaps when the raw emotion burns off from the one-and-done loss, he’ll contemplate one last run, enabling the beloved Viking to fully cross paths with quarterback J.J. McCarthy for one season.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Circle it on your calendars: March 14th is the drop-dead date for Smith’s 2025 fate.

He turned 36 earlier this month.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.