Harrison Smith returning to Vikings for 13th NFL season

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Harrison Smith - Credit: Getty Images (Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Harrison Smith isn’t done playing football just yet. The longest-tenured player for the Minnesota Vikings is coming back for a 13th season.

The Vikings announced Wednesday afternoon they’ve reached an agreement to bring the veteran safety back for the 2024 season. According to Tom Pelissero with NFL Network, Smith is returning on a restructured contract for about $9 million. The team gets some salary cap relief, and Smith is back with the only team he’s played for his entire career. Smith was originally due about $19 million this season.

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There was some speculation this offseason he might retire.

The Vikings drafted Smith in the first round, No. 29 overall out of Notre Dame, in 2012. He’s made 175 career starts with the Vikings, and earned Pro Bowl honors six times. He was selected First-Team All-Pro in 2017.

Smith made 17 starts last season and made 94 tackles to go along with three sacks. He has 34 career interceptions, though 2023 was just the second time in his career he didn’t record a takeaway. He’ll provide a veteran presence in the secondary along with Cam Bynum, and help young defensive backs in Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans.

Smith has 19.5 career sacks and 45 tackles for loss.