{"id":833760,"date":"2026-03-25T22:51:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T22:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/833760\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T22:51:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T22:51:23","slug":"bears-website-floats-delusional-harrison-smith-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/833760\/","title":{"rendered":"Bears Website Floats Delusional Harrison Smith Theory"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harrison Smith is technically a free agent, and according to a Chicago Bears-themed website<\/a>, he might be interested in Ben Johnson\u2019s team for his final season.<\/p>\n

Chicago can dream, but Smith\u2019s real choice still looks much narrower.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no earthly reason for Smith to sign with the Bears, but Ernesto Cova at Da Windy City claims the idea is on the table.<\/p>\n

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Smith to CHI Just Isn\u2019t Realistic<\/p>\n

This theory could\u2019ve been left in Drafts.<\/p>\n

\"Harrison<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) walks onto the field before kickoff, taking in the moment ahead of a road matchup against New York on Dec. 21, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford as the veteran prepared for another late-season contest. Mandatory Credit: Yannick Peterhans\/USA TODAY NETWORK-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

DaWindyCity.com: Why Not Harrison Smith to CHI?<\/p>\n

As the saying goes, \u201cThere\u2019s a take for everything,\u201d and that was in play Tuesday when Cova suggested Smith to Chicago.<\/p>\n

He explained<\/a>, \u201cThe Bears should make a run at Harrison Smith. Smith is still a free agent, and the Bears could certainly use some help at strong safety. Given Smith\u2019s age, he\u2019s obviously not going to be a long-term solution at the position. That said, the Bears\u2019 Super Bowl window<\/a> is wide open right now, and he\u2019s the type of proven veteran who can help this young team push through in the second year of the Ben Johnson era.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Chicago Bears already lured a former divisional rival to the Windy City. And even though the addition of WR Kalif Raymond<\/a> may not be as impactful, bolstering the team while hurting an NFC North rival is a double win. Now, GM Ryan Poles might repeat that approach, this time to bolster the defense with a Minnesota Vikings star.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sixth-time Pro Bowler has never even remotely hinted that he\u2019d place elsewhere, making the Bears\u2019 theory all the more ludicrous.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s Choice Is Binary: Return to Vikings or Retirement from NFL<\/p>\n

The issue at hand for Smith is not to re-sign with the Vikings or to explore another team. If he wanted that outcome, he could\u2019ve explored that scenario five or six years ago.<\/p>\n

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In the 2026 offseason, Smith\u2019s self-admitted decision is between retiring and coming back for Year No. 15 in Minnesota. Hell, just in case, the Vikings and the team\u2019s fans held a faux retirement ceremony for him at U.S. Bank Stadium in January when Minnesota chipped off the Detroit Lions<\/a> to end the season.<\/p>\n

Since then, longtime Vikings like Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham have called it quits. He has not. Smith will choose between Year No. 15 and retirement in the very near future.<\/p>\n

\"Harrison<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) goes through pregame warmups, getting loose ahead of the season opener against Tampa Bay on Sep. 10, 2023, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as Minnesota prepared to begin its regular-season schedule. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.<\/p>\n

Zone Coverage\u2018s Chris Schad noted on Smith<\/a> this week, \u201cGetting Harrison Smith back to the Vikings defense would be a boost in an offseason that has been about improving the team without the splashy, ill-fated signings that headlined free agency a year ago. Still, even if Smith returns, he won\u2019t be the ultimate solution for a safety room that needs help.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Bears\u2019 Defensive Overhaul<\/p>\n

Why would the Bears want Smith? Well, they\u2019ve been busy overhauling their defense. In free agency, Chicago has lost these players:<\/p>\n

Andrew Billings (DL) CHI \u2192 ARI<\/p>\n

Jaquan Brisker (S) CHI \u2192 PIT<\/p>\n

Kevin Byard (S) CHI \u2192 NE<\/p>\n

Tremaine Edmunds (LB) CHI \u2192 NYG<\/p>\n

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S) CHI \u2192 BUF<\/p>\n

Jonathan Owens (S) CHI \u2192 IND<\/p>\n

Dominique Robinson (ED) CHI \u2192 HOU<\/p>\n

Nahshon Wright (CB) CHI \u2192 NYJ<\/p>\n

And the newcomers + re-signings:<\/p>\n

Coby Bryant (S) SEA \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

Neville Gallimore (DL) IND \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

Elijah Hicks (CB) CHI \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

Jaylon Jones (S) CHI \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

James Lynch (DL) TEN \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

Cam Lewis (CB) BUF \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

Jack Sanborn (LB) DAL \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

Kentavius Street (DL) ATL \u2192 CHI<\/p>\n

Smith would evidently play situational between Bryant and Jones \u2014 or so goes the theory.<\/p>\n

All Signs Point to a Return to MIN for Smith<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s indecision likely speaks volumes if you think about it for a moment. Players nearing retirement usually sound ready to hang up their cleats, and back in January, Smith sounded like he was on the verge of retiring, saying he was \u201cleaning one way\u201d without elaborating. Vikings fans even treated Week 18 as a potential farewell.<\/p>\n

\"Harrison<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings free safety Harrison Smith (22) reacts after making an interception, celebrating the defensive play during second-half action against Washington on Dec. 7, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as the Vikings built momentum late in the game. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Now in March, he hasn\u2019t closed the door on returning. A source told VikingsTerritory in February that Smith is \u201c50\/50\u201d on returning, adding that he \u201chas a hard time walking away.\u201d<\/p>\n

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That tracks with Smith\u2019s strong finish to the 2025 season. After battling an early-season ailment, he rebounded and recorded a couple of interceptions. Timing may also be a factor. The Vikings are suddenly looking like contenders again. With Kyler Murray<\/a> now in the building, Super Bowl aspirations are resurfacing. For a player like Smith, retiring right before Minnesota makes a serious title run would be painstaking.<\/p>\n

The prospect of the Vikings winning a championship<\/a> the season after he retires would be criminal. One thing\u2019s for sure: Smith won\u2019t be joining the Bears. A delusional take.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Harrison Smith is technically a free agent, and according to a Chicago Bears-themed website, he might be interested…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":833761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2070],"tags":[4128,12836,374,1035,9215,26855,692,391,2493,2873,113,27164,4863,7,21433,7400,12756,4423,4979,4862,6282,11419,4861,4827,9737,259,10378,4986,6,114994,3394,7401],"class_list":["post-833760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chicago-bears","tag-adam-thielen","tag-andrew-billings","tag-bears","tag-ben-johnson","tag-c-j-ham","tag-cam-lewis","tag-chicago","tag-chicago-bears","tag-chicagobears","tag-coby-bryant","tag-detroit-lions","tag-dominique-robinson","tag-elijah-hicks","tag-football","tag-harrison-smith","tag-jack-sanborn","tag-james-lynch","tag-jaquan-brisker","tag-jaylon-jones","tag-jonathan-owens","tag-kalif-raymond","tag-kentavius-street","tag-kevin-byard","tag-kyler-murray","tag-mandatory-credit","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-nahshon-wright","tag-neville-gallimore","tag-nfl","tag-smith-returns","tag-the-bears","tag-tremaine-edmunds"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116292269289723981","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/833760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=833760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/833760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/833761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=833760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=833760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=833760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}