Vikings Bring Back 6-Time Pro Bowler, Locker Room Leader on Reworked Deal

The Minnesota Vikings are among the winners of free agency thus far, though the franchise made a significant move on Wednesday with a player already on the roster.

Minnesota restructured the contract of safety Harrison Smith on March 12, clearing the way for the six-time Pro Bowler to return to the roster for his 14th NFL campaign.

“Harrison Smith’s new deal is worth around $11 million, with incentives bringing it up to $14 million, per source,” Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote. “[Defensive coordinator] Brian Flores did not want to lose him, nor did [head coach] Kevin O’Connell, and the Vikings made sure to get it done.”

Minnesota not only avoided losing Smith to retirement with the new deal, the team also avoided the necessity of cutting him ahead of Friday, when the safety’s deal — had it remained in its former structure — would have triggered a guaranteed $25 million in 2026.

Smith, who will play next season at 36 years old, was an even bigger priority after fellow safety Camryn Bynum left Minnesota for a sizable contract from the Indianapolis Colts. Smith will play alongside safety Theo Jackson, who the Vikings inked to a two-year deal worth $12.6 million this offseason.

Jackson’s deal indicated a strong possibility that either Bynum or Smith would depart in free agency. As it turned out, Minnesota stuck with the experienced and less expensive veteran rather than paying big money to keep Bynum on the roster.

Vikings Secured Star CB Bryon Murphy Jr. on Blockbuster Deal

The Vikings were able to use some of the money they saved on Bynum to re-sign star cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. to a new three-year deal.

Minnesota needed to break the bank to secure Murphy’s return, as literally the rest of the top CBs in the position group are risks to leave in free agency.

“The Vikings retained one of their top players at a position that could have been gutted by departures,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote. “[Murphy] has the versatility to play inside against slot receivers or on the outside. Had [the Vikings] not taken their offer into the range that made him one of the five highest-paid cornerbacks in the league, and another team had snatched him up, the Vikings would have been staring at the possibility of replacing all four of their top cornerbacks from 2024.”

Murphy, 27, earned Pro Bowl honors last season for the first time in his six-year career, posting a career-high 6 interceptions along the way.

Vikings Added CB Isaiah Rodgers in Free Agency, Will Get CB Mekhi Blackmon Back From Injury

Bringing back Smith on a restructured deal and signing Murphy for three years as he enters his prime are two crucial moves to preserve the integrity of a secondary that led the league with 24 interceptions last year.

The Vikings also signed former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers to a two-year contract in free agency. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon will be back healthy after injury knocked him out last year, which is another significant boost to the depth chart.

Minnesota owns the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of next month’s draft, and the majority of national mocks have the Vikings looking cornerback at that spot.