After spending quite some time contemplating his retirement, Harrison Smith decided to sign a one-year, $12.25 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings
and returned for his 15th season in the NFL. But will he actually retire after his contract comes to an end?
Richard Sherman, on The Richard Sherman Podcast
, wanted to know if this was the safety's final season with the league.
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"I've always left the door open in the past, but this is my last year," Smith revealed his retirement stance. "I don't know if I'll ever say for sure no to anything. But no. This is my last year for sure."
But Sherman didn't seem convinced. He claimed that if the Vikings go into a deep playoff next year and they "Eric Weddle him", he could see Smith putting on shoulder pads for a comeback. After all, Weddle came out of a two-year retirement and helped the Los Angeles Rams
secure a Lombardi Trophy.
After 15 seasons of elite play, Harrison Smith reveals what's next for his legendary career. Subscribe for the latest on Vikings icons and NFL's biggest decisions.
Smith recalled talking to linebacker Kyle Van Noy about Weddle. He noted that Weddle tore his pec in the very first drive in Super Bowl LVI. Yet, he pushed through the pain and recorded five tackles against the Cincinnati Bengals
.
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To make things interesting, the Vikings are already trying to go into a deep playoff run. They are sitting at an undefeated 5-0 record so far. However, Smith seemed adamant about retiring after his 15th NFL season.
It's worth noting that Smith had already received an emotional farewell in the final game of his 14th season in the league. Of course, retirement was an option that he was considering back then. But he never really confirmed whether he was acting upon it. Throughout the offseason, Smith played golf and stayed in shape. Finally, in the first week of September 2026, he decided to come back for one final season.
"I was enjoying my time at home in Tennessee, staying in shape but not getting too carried away," the Vikings' safety said as he recalled the moment that made him return. "And then we were just talking. My daughter was like, 'When are we going back to Minnesota?' She's four, and I kind of looked at my wife and was like, 'Actually, I'm kind of getting a little bit of an itch to go back.' Things kind of worked out. I asked my wife if she was all good with it. She was kind of shocked a little bit but ready to go and just made it happen."
Harrison Smith is currently leading the list of active defensive players with the most interceptions (39). But in the 2026 season, on SI, Adam Carlson claimed that Smith looks like "a shell of his former self." Carlson argued that Smith has played only 140 out of 295 defensive snaps. Furthermore, he hasn't started any of his first five games this year. To make matters worse, Pro Football Focus has slammed a 33.5 coverage grade on him, ranking him second-last among 98 qualifying safeties.
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Nevertheless, Smith seemed content with the way things were moving for the Vikings. Being on one of the three undefeated teams in the 2026 season certainly made him happy. Additionally, playing with a strong group is a lot of fun.
"It's a lot of fun. Coming to work is a lot of fun," Smith noted. "It's enjoyable, and we are productive and enjoying ourselves when it counts the most."
Despite a reduced role and harsh analytical grades, the veteran safety is fully embracing one final championship push with the undefeated 5-0 Vikings. But only time can tell if it's actually his last gig with the Vikings.
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