The Minnesota Vikings were a team many had pegged to select Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman in the 2026 draft. The Vikings passed on Thieneman, though, selecting Florida’s Caleb Banks instead, which could point to veteran Harrison Smith’s return.
However, that remains an unknown. The Vikings and Smith had a parting of sorts. The six-time Pro Bowler and one-time First Team All-Pro remains a threat to retire.
That has not happened yet, though.
Vikings Face Question Over Harrison Smith
GettyThe Minnesota Vikings have left the door open for Harrison Smith to return.
Smith has spent his entire career with the Vikings, who selected him 29th overall in the 2012 draft. He has started 203 of the 207 regular-season contests that he has played in for the Vikings. He has also started all eight of their postseason tilts together.
The silence from both sides in recent weeks could ultimately prove telling.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert listed Smith’s future as the “biggest” question that the Vikings face following the 2025 draft.
“At the end of the season, all signs were pointing toward the longtime Vikings safety retiring after 14 seasons. But free agency and now the draft have come and gone, and Smith hasn’t made any public pronouncements,” Seifert wrote on April 27.
“The Vikings released him March 11 but have let him know that they would welcome him back if he decides to play in 2026. The team drafted safety Jakobe Thomas in the third round, but there have been no other notable additions at the position. The Vikings will move on if they have to, but they know they will have a better defense with Smith back on the field.”
Smith logged career lows in tackles and snap share in 2025, per Pro Football Reference.
The Vikings also have Theo Jackson and Jay Ward, both of whom started games in 2025. They also have incumbent starter Josh Metellus on the back end of the defense.
That is plenty of options for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores without Smith coming back for a 15th NFL season. But the combination of his versatility, experience, and leadership cannot be easily replaced.
Vikings Added ‘Productive’ S in Jakobe Thomas
GettyJakobe Thomas is the only safety addition of note for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason.
The Vikings may not need to turn to him, but NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein noted Thomas was productive in college.
“A productive, fifth-year safety prospect, Thomas is wired to play forward and race into the action wherever it is present. He overflows pursuit and has too many missed or broken tackles on his stat sheet, but his impact against the run is a net positive. He has good ball production but is fairly average in coverage,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile.
“Can be way too quick to overlap or bite on bait, which allows receivers to get behind him from single-high and split-safety alignments. Thomas has the potential to develop into a starter as a likely middle-round pick.”
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Thomas as the 11th-best safety in the class.
Brugler projected Thomas as a fourth or fifth-round pick, which suggests the Vikings may have reached to select him.
“Thomas is a passionate competitor, which can lead to missteps but will also put him in position to play fast and make plays,” Brugler wrote in his “The Beast” draft guide, which was published well ahead of the draft on April 8. “He has the floor of a special-teamer and the potential to earn a starting role.”
If Thomas–or one of the Vikings’ more immediate potential replacement options for Smith–pans out, the fuss will be rendered moot. It is easy to see why the Vikings would still be interested in bringing Smith back, though.
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