Minnesota Vikings Captain Delays Retirement… But Not For Cheap

The new NFL league year just started today, but that didn’t hold the Minnesota Vikings back from building their 2025 team months in advance of the team meeting for OTAs in June, let alone training camp in late July.

Immediately after the 2024 season ended, head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah vowed to address the weaknesses that plagued the MN Vikings throughout last season. It took the tag-team tandem all of three days to do most of the heavy work.

Interior OL struggles? Solved, after the signings of former Colts offensive linemen Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. Not enough push up the middle on defense? Fixed, after Kwesi & Co found two top 12 free agents in the class of 2025, with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave for that.

They also addressed the secondary. Yes, the Vikings lost Cam Bynum, who signed a massive deal with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday. But they were able to bring back Byron Murphy Jr for a less than originally reported $18 million per season.

Harrison Smith returning to the Minnesota Vikings

And on Wednesday night, after rumors had been swirling of a likely return, Harrison Smith made it official. The freshly turned 36-year-old future Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor inductee is putting off his retirement for at least one more season, in order to play under Brian Flores for the third-straight year.

Six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith will return for a 14th NFL season, agreeing to terms today on a new contract with the #Vikings, per sources.

At age 36, Smith is still playing at a high level and can now add to his hall of fame resume. pic.twitter.com/r1aOQFOn6z

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 13, 2025

Drafted 29th overall in 2012, Harrison Smith is probably the second greatest safety to ever wear purple, behind the other No. 22, Paul Krause, who leads the NFL in all-time interceptions with 81. In 2024, Smith started 16 games, totalling 87 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions and 10 passes defended. But he is much, much more than that in this defense.

No hometown discount for the Vikings

According to Star Tribune beat reporter Ben Goessling, Harry’s total cap hit (salary + bonus + projected incentives) will be $14 million. If that’s how the final numbers come through officially, it will slot Smith in around 12th among NFL safeties in average annual value (AAV), and 8th in total cash this season.

In other words, if the Vikings were hoping to get him for a discount from Harrison Smith, it didn’t happen. Clearly, after taking pay cuts for each of the past two seasons (2023 & 2024), Smith wasn’t going to put his aging body on the line for 17 more games for cheap. He’ll make $11 million in cash guaranteed next season, with $275K bonuses for each game played.

Harrison Smith gets a $10.25M base, with $250K of per-game roster bonuses and $750K tied to snap counts. He can earn up to $3M in incentives tied to his stats and the #Vikings’ success.

His league minimum base salary on his old deal was a placeholder, with Smith’s future…

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 13, 2025

$14 million this season is just $1 million less than what Bynum got in AAV with Indy, and double what he got in cash for 2025. What does all of this say about the Minnesota Vikings thoughts on Harrison Smith? It means that defensive coordinator Brian Flores wasn’t just okay with him returning, he badly wanted his defensive captain back at just about any cost.