Harrison Smith enters his 10th NFL season, all with the Minnesota Vikings. The 32-year-old is a blend of veteran and playmaker who still views himself in the prime of his career.
"People ask me how long I've been in the league, and I say, 'This is my 10th,'" Smith said during minicamp, via the Star-Tribune. "It kind of catches me off guard sometimes because you're just always in the flow of trying to make plays and get better, and it just flies by. Sometimes it feels like I'm just a couple years in, and then other times I look around, and I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm a lot older than most of these guys,' so it's kind of back and forth."
Smith enters the final year of a five-year extension signed in 2016. The safety is set to make $9.85 million in base salary with a $10.232 million cap hit. The Vikings have enough space to get through the season comfortably at this stage, so an extension that pushes Smith's cap hit lower isn't a necessity.
Smith would like to continue his career in Minnesota but didn't sound like he's had meaningful discussions on the topic with Vikings brass yet.
"I don't have a solid answer for you, but obviously I've been here going on 10 [seasons] and would love to be here in the future," Smith said. "Going to look at those things and see what we can do. That's about it right now."
Smith remains one of the top safeties in the NFL despite snapping a five-year Pro Bowl streak last season. The veteran can still cover deep and fly toward the line of scrimmage against the run. His versatility is essential in Mike Zimmer's defense.
After riding with a very young secondary didn't work out last season, the Vikings added several veteran defenders to help bolster the ground, most on one-year deals. With Smith also on the final year of his contract, the Vikings seem poised to play out this season, seeing how the mix on defense goes before determining their next moves on that side of the ball.
