The Vikings thought they needed a safety. Turns out they already had one; they just didn't have him under contract - until Saturday. Minnesota is bringing back Harrison Smith on a one-year deal worth $12.25 million, with incentives pushing it to $16.25 million, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported.
Smith turns 38 in February and is walking into his 15th season with the only franchise he has ever known. That wasn't a given five months ago. Minnesota released him in March using a post-June 1 designation, a cap move that spreads the money over two years but says nothing about whether a player intends to keep playing. Smith didn't say anything about his future either. For months, nobody knew if this was retirement or just a pause.
The Vikings signed Jamal Adams to take Smith's old job. Adams tore up his knee in the preseason opener and was done for the year before he even started it. Suddenly Minnesota remembered the safety they had just let go.
Smith had been in touch with the coaching staff this summer. Coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters in August that they talked regularly.
"I've had my kind of weekly, you know, dialogues and discussions with him that have ranged to a lot of different topics."
The numbers still hold up. He's been to six Pro Bowls and made a first-team All-Pro in 2017. He has 39 career interceptions, most among active players. He has 21½ sacks and has started 203 games out of a possible 207 since the Vikings drafted him with the 29th pick in 2012.
The Vikings are not expected to do much this season. Most sportsbooks have them predicted to go 8.5 wins and finish third behind Detroit and Green Bay.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harrison Smith returns to Vikings after Minnesota's safety crisis
