The Pros and Cons of Harrison Smith’s Return

The final lingering question of the Vikings offseason has finally been answered. After an offseason of “will he, won’t he,” Harrison Smith has finally been announced as returning to Minnesota. It’s another year in purple for the Hitman.

While sending some credit to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the NFL’s social media sent the details: “Vikings S Harrison Smith agrees to terms to come back for 15th season on a 1-year, $12.25M deal with playoff incentives worth up to $16.25M.”

The Pros and Cons of Harrison Smith’s Return

It felt like a goodbye when he left the field to a hero’s reception in the Vikings’ final game of the 2025 season. While CJ Ham and Adam Thielen officially announced their retirements, Smith never said a word, which led to ongoing talk of one more season. It became official on Saturday when the team released the news of Smith’s return and a timely boost to the Vikings safety group.

He agreed to terms to come back for his 15th season in the league, all of which have been as a Viking, on a 1-year, $12.25 million deal with playoff incentives. A Vikings legend is back for what seems like one last rodeo, which is exciting news for an extremely popular player as we head into opening week of the 2026 season. The return of the Hitman will be popular, but is it all good news? I take a look at the pros and cons of Harrison Smith’s return.

Pro – Leadership

Smith has been a huge figure for the Vikings for a long time now. He isn’t necessarily a big talker, but he leads by example, and his presence in the locker room will have a positive effect. You just have to look at how the team’s coaches and players spoke about him over the last few months when they were constantly questioned about his potential return.

Con – Steady Decline

There’s no getting away from it. The Hitman isn’t the same player he was in 2017, when he was named first-team All-Pro. There has been a steady decline over the years, and questioning how much he has left in the tank is valid. He wasn’t terrible last season; he still made interceptions, sacked the quarterback, and earned a respectable Pro Football Focus grade of 68.9, but he isn’t the force he once was.

Pro – Football Intelligence

Smith has never lacked anything physically, but his football IQ has set him apart and is why he should eventually find his way into the Hall of Fame. In Brian Flores’ notoriously complicated defense, you need intelligent players to make it work. A master of the disguise that Flores wants at the line of scrimmage, Smith has no peers when it comes to fooling quarterbacks by showing pressure and then either either coming downhill or backing out. There’s great nuance needed to do it successfully, and Smith is the best.

Con – No Preseason

Smith had a slow start to last season and got better as the year went on. Maybe sitting out the preseason is what he needed to revitalize himself and hit the ground running in 2026. However, I do have a concern about how sharp he will be on the field. Of course, he will have kept himself fit, and his football IQ will help, but it might take him a while to get up to full speed.

Pro – Mentoring the Young Vikings Safeties

Josh Metellus has probably finished his mentorship under the Hitman, which helped a late-round draft pick become a hugely valuable member of the roster. Minnesota has a couple of promising rookies this year in Jacob Thomas and Jakobe Thomas. They will now get a year sat under the learning tree with one of the best to ever do it. That will be a positive for both.

An Overall Positive

Smith brings so much wisdom to the team that, as long as there isn’t a big decline from last season, I view his return as an overall positive. It will be interesting to see if he remains an every-down player or is used more sparingly. The price tag for his return would suggest that the Vikings will still want a lot from him. Smith should still have something to give, its just a case of how much.

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Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.