Vikings safety Harrison Smith to consider retirement again after ‘some of the most fun I’ve had’

GLENDALE, ARIZ. – Safety Harrison Smith paused, his eyes welling with tears during a 10-second silence after he was asked to reflect on a 13-year Vikings career that may have ended with Monday night’s 27-9 loss to the Rams in an NFC wild-card playoff game.

Smith was specifically asked about his teammates’ support and how the stoic safety allowed himself to weep immediately after a tough loss.

“I prefer not to have them on camera,” Smith said of the tears he was trying to hold back. “But, um, 44 [Josh Metellus] is a special guy; 24 [Camryn Bynum] and 44. I felt like I have been a mentor, of sorts. Seen them grow into really, really special players, great people. So it’s been a pleasure to be around.”

Smith, a 35-year-old father of two, will once again consider walking away, but that consideration will come on his own time. He said there’s no current plan to retire. He acknowledged this offseason won’t be the same as last offseason, when he also pondered retirement before agreeing to a restructured contract in March.

“My life’s different,” Smith said. “I’m older.”

Smith missed only one start this season, the Dec. 22 victory in Seattle, because of a foot injury. He played through a hip injury early in the season. But he also played in his 200th Vikings game (regular and postseason) on Monday night, and the toll of over 12,000 defensive snaps in his career has left its marks.

The shoulder that troubled Smith at the end of the 2023 season isn’t an issue, but Smith said nothing’s clear about injuries at this point.

“My shoulders are good, actually,” Smith said. “The funny thing about the season, no matter when it is, your body lies to you. Tells you they’re better than they are. So, um, it’ll settle in the next week or so, figure out what really hurts.”

“When you’ve played as long as I have,” he added, “you don’t feel great every day. But playing, especially this year in this defense — some of the most fun I’ve had. And that starts with [Brian Flores].”

Smith, a first-round pick in 2012, was an immediate starter and difference-maker after getting drafted out of Notre Dame. A punishing tackler who earned the nickname “Hitman,” he had to change his techniques and style over time as the league changed focuses from protecting defenseless receivers to helmet-to-helmet hits that can be incidental during passes over the middle of the field.

“I don’t know what the rules are half the time,” Smith quipped.

If Smith retires, he will go out as the NFL’s active career interceptions leader with 37 picks.

The marks left on teammates outnumber the takeaways.

“He changed my life,” Metellus said. “I wouldn’t be the player I am today without his leadership, experience, work ethic. … I have no regrets. I got what I needed out of him; I got a picture with him, his jersey, I got to meet his family. They’re my family now. If he’s onto the next chapter of his life, I wish him well. He’ll still be a part of mine.”

“He’s really made my career,” Bynum said. “I’ve cherished these four years I’ve had. Just knowing the impact he had, we’re locked in forever. That’s my big bruh.”

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, a fellow 2012 first-round pick, quickly developed a bond with Smith upon signing with the Vikings in August.

“Man, it’s an honor,” Gilmore said. “We came into the league together, and I wish we could’ve played together younger. It really would’ve been pretty special. … I’m glad I actually got to know him pretty well. Definitely don’t take it for granted.”

Smith’s 192 regular-season games are the most by a defensive back in the Vikings’ 64-year franchise history and eighth among all players. His durability continued with age, as did his importance in Flores’ defense, which relies heavily on identifying the offense and communicating adjustments before the snap.

After Monday night’s loss, Smith had more to say to his teammates, and they had more to say about him.

“We just wanted to get one for him,” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said. “It kind of gets me a little choked up because I know what he’s put into this game, man. You understand what goes into this. New teams every year. He’s been doing this for a while, so he’s seen a lot of different Vikings teams. For him to come to me afterward and tell me I’m a dawg, give me my props, just from a guy like that, man, that meant a lot. The impact he has on this locker room can’t be replaced.”