Vikings defense gets phenomenal news that will elevate Brian Flores' unit to an elite level amid potential Super Bowl run
The Minnesota Vikings are doing everything they can to make a run toward a Super Bowl in 2025 and beyond during free agency. That path got a little bit easier, as safety Harrison Smith has agreed to a new contract with the franchise that will have him return for the 2025 season. According to NFL […]
The Minnesota Vikings are doing everything they can to make a run toward a Super Bowl in 2025 and beyond during free agency. That path got a little bit easier, as safety Harrison Smith has agreed to a new contract with the franchise that will have him return for the 2025 season.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Smith is going to be returning with a base salary of $10.25 million with the ability to make up to $14 million.
Harrison Smith returning for 14 season
Smith returning for his 14th season with the Vikings comes as both a surprise but also was expected. It's an interesting dichotomy for Smith, who has always moved to the beat of his own drum.
His teammate Josh Metellus took to Twitter/X to celebrate the news of Smith returning. The backstory of the below picture is simple. A few years ago, former beat writer Chris Tomasson texted Smith if he would be returning and all Tomasson got was a picture of Prince. Here, Metellus had some full with Photoshop.
The return of Smith is twofold. First, he needed to make a decision by the third day of the league year on Friday, as his base salary of $25 million in the void year would fully guaranteed.
The other element is that Smith is known to love playing for defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Smith has thrived in his defense over the last two seasons with his ability to use his intelligence to maximize pressure on the quarterback.
Smith's deal to return in 2025 is more than what he made in each of the last two seasons with both years coming in under $10 million in cash brought in. He also has $250k of per-game roster bonuses and $750k tied into snap counts. Plus, he can earn up to $3 million in stat-based incentives tied to snap counts.
The Vikings' defense just got better with the return of Smith.
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