The Minnesota Vikings are about to head into training camp in a few weeks, and still don’t know if their All-Pro safety will be joining them.
Harrison Smith has yet to make any decisions on retirement just yet, but The Athletic’s Alec Lewis provided a bit of insight into how things might shake out with the veteran safety.
“I’d say it’s still up in the air,” said Lewis. “I said this on the radio on Tuesday, but I just do not think you can rule out the possibility that he returns at some point. I don’t believe there is a very clear-cut timeline. It’s more so how does Harrison’s body feel? How does his mind feel? And it feels to me as if the Vikings are giving him essentially a blank canvas for him to color on to allow them to then see if he wants to continue playing and allowing him to make that decision on his own time.”
“This is a guy who can do a lot of things,” Lewis continued. “What you can’t replicate is being in the fire of games on Sundays. And so I think, if he doesn’t hang it up, it will be because replicating that in his life is part of why so many people love playing this game. So that’s what I’d say.”
How Could the Vikings Safety Group Shape Up if Smith Retires?
Smith is 37, and could be looking at a return just before the season or potentially even a few weeks into it to save his body. Still, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he decided to just hang it up this year and retire too. But if Smith doesn’t return, where does that leave the Vikings safety room?
“If Harrison Smith isn’t out there, one of the guys capable of being that hub of communication is Josh Metellus, which would mean he would play in the deep deep half. Now, the question for me is who is playing opposite him?” asked Lewis.
“Is it going to be Jay Ward? Would it be Theo Jackson, or would Jakobe Thomas be able to assimilate well enough into this team and this defense to be able to step in and start back there? And so that for me, I think if Harrison Smith does not return to start the season, I think so much of what that room can be is contingent on Jakobe Thomas’ ability.”
The Vikings selected Thomas out of Miami in this April’s NFL Draft, but it’s hard to start in the NFL as a rookie. It’s even harder to start for Brian Flores as a rookie. The Vikings clearly have some options, but how Thomas progresses could be the x-factor in all this. If he’s not able to handle a significant role, Ward or even an outside signing may slide up into the starting rotation.
Former Vikings Coach Brad Childress Talks QB Battle
While Minnesota sorts out the safety room, they’ll also need to decide who will be quarterbacking the team as well. Former Vikings head coach Brad Childress explained what he needs to see from both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy this season on the Star Tribune’s Daily Delivery Podcast.
“He’s got a live arm, but he also has wheels. He can beat you with his legs,” Childress said of Murray. “I think the biggest question for both of those guys will be, ‘Can you stand in the pocket and look at it, and, are you able to be an anticipatory thrower?’ You can’t wait till you see the whites of a guy’s eyes. A lot of times you’ve got to anticipate and stick it in a spot over a linebacker in front of a defensive back and let him run into that throw.”
The quarterback competition will continue into training camp and potentially even the preseason as Kevin O’Connell tries to make the best decision for the team.
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