Harrison Smith has been an integral part of the Vikings‘ defense ever since he was drafted in 2012 out of Notre Dame. He came into the NFL as a downhill safety and quickly developed and evolved into a complete player that has been a part of several great defenses over the years.
Fast forward to the present, and Smith is now dealing with a personal health matter that seems to be lingering on into the season.
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On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Brian Flores was asked about the usage of Smith after his return from injury this season. His snap counts have been lower and as he brings up, they are having success with the duo of Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson. He explains, “I think we’re kind of evaluating that and talking about it as a staff. I think he’s been in some of the dime roles, more of the third down kind of obvious pass situations. And I think Theo and Metellus are playing well and I think we’re in a space where potentially we could play him a little bit more, but I think it’s going to be by gameplan what we need from him this particular week, and it’s like that for everybody. . .”
Flores also shared his thoughts on the status of his health, saying, “Well, I mean I think we’re still, again, working back in a lot of ways. I would say nothing’s changed from that standpoint as far as his importance to the defense, to the team, but I think there’s some things that I think he’s still working his way back. . .”
The defense as a whole has struggled at times this year, not for a lack of talent. They have been bitten by the injury bug time and again, but they are on the mend as several players are nearing a return to full-time duty, such as Blake Cashman.
However, despite there being two players who can make his absence seem less impactful, getting Harrison Smith back full time should allow for this defense to find some added versatility.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings’ Harrison Smith still working his way back from injury