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The scene looked like a continuation of Snoop Dogg’s lavish halftime show. Vikings safety Harrison Smith stood next to teammates wearing Santa-like red robes. A large dollop of fake snow rested on Smith’s head. He tore into a large chunk of meat provided by the Netflix hosts, and gazed around U.S. Bank Stadium, knowing he might have only one more game remaining in his career.
On Dec. 25, in a 23-10 victory over the Lions, Smith didn’t just turn back the clock. He might have reset it.
In the penultimate game of what has been a quietly effective season, Smith made loud noises, producing a sack, two tackles for losses, an interception and three passes defended. He looked like he was 25 instead of 36. He looked like the kind of guy you’d want around for more than a few days of the 2026 calendar year.
So as Smith fought back tears during an emotional postgame interview, I asked him if recent events could persuade him to play one more season. He knocked down the question as if it were a pass from Lions quarterback Jared Goff, saying he wanted to stay “in the moment.”
I think Smith should come back.
Am I a prisoner of the moment?
When the moment is this good, yes.
Smith had an undisclosed ailment that robbed him of preparation time this summer and in training camp, and he wasn’t much of a factor early in the season. I figured the Vikings should have spent their money elsewhere, instead of providing a farewell tour for a great player.
Smith has changed my mind. He has helped what appeared to be an overmatched secondary improve dramatically over the course of the season. He remains by far the team’s best safety. If he is still capable of the kinds of explosive plays we saw from him against Detroit, why wouldn’t you bring him back?
When his coaches and teammates speak about him, you can tell they’re not offering mere platitudes.
“We wanted to once again give Harrison the ability to win the pre-snap,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “And then what I think he did tonight was win the post-snap in many ways.”
Translating to common English: Smith is able to read offenses and adjust the defense before the ball is snapped. And after the ball is snapped, Smith looks like a player who should wind up in the Hall of Fame.
The Vikings’ four-game winning streak has come in virtually meaningless games, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless.
Smith has given himself reason to consider playing another season, which would be a coup for the Vikings.
Linebacker Dallas Turner has become much more productive.
J.J. McCarthy looks like a winning, if developing, quarterback.
Aaron Jones Sr. has proved he is not merely a quality running back but that he will play through injuries in games of little consequence.
In a remarkably unpredictable league, it would not be surprising to see the Vikings become a force in the NFC North again next year, especially considering they are one Bears kickoff return away from being 4-1 in the division this season.
When they were 4-8 and one of the most disappointing teams in the league, the Vikings could have splintered or sagged. Football is a hard game to play without obvious motivation.
They have won four in a row, and on Jan. 4 Harrison Smith will play against the Green Bay Packers in U.S. Bank Stadium in the year 2026.
Returning for “one more year” is always a risk. Sports can’t guarantee a happy ending. Maybe Smith wants to go out playing like a star, with his limbs and lobes intact.
The guy we watched against Detroit — and the guy who teared up talking about Vikings fans after the game — should linger on this stage.
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