Harrison Smith was unable to play in the Minnesota Vikings‘ season opener against the Chicago Bears on Monday. The safety had missed most of the past month of practice before the game with a “personal health matter.”
But he could be making his 2025 debut this Sunday, says Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune.
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Goessling appeared on the Access Vikings podcast and said that he “wouldn’t be surprised” to see Smith play in some capacity against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
I wouldn’t think that takes terribly long [to ramp back up into game shape]… I think he’s at least improved enough to play. I wouldn’t expect he’s going to be 100% from a stamina perspective that quickly. But I think getting himself in position to play and have a role by Sunday night, I guess I’d be a little surprised if it’s not at that point by then.
Even if Smith does play, the other three safeties on the roster will still contribute. Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson would likely still get the bulk of the snaps. But Jay Ward, a third-year safety who was relegated mostly to special teams his first two seasons, was the Vikings’ highest-graded defender against the Bears, according to PFF.
But getting Smith back on the field in any capacity helps. He’s still productive at 36 years old, but more importantly, he brings leadership and football IQ to the defense.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Insider wouldn’t be surprised to see Harrison Smith play ‘some snaps’