There will be a lot of tough decisions that face the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. From the quarterback position to fixing the front seven, there are a lot of questions.
Arguably the biggest decision is going to surround future Ring of Honor member and potential Hall of Fame safety Harrison Smith. He likely will not play on the $19,215,882 cap hit he is set to have and would save $11,384,116 by releasing or trading him.
In talking to reporters after the game, Smith was adamant in not being ready to talk about the future and if he wants to play football in 2024.
“I’ll say this, it’s hard to have the ability to play and not have a desire. I’m not trying to be ominous. Right now my shoulder hurts.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that Smith had been nursing a shoulder injury that had caused him a “fair bit of pain.”
Last offseason, there were whispers that Smith would retire but instead signed the amended contract that still gave him a base salary of $7.5 million and a total value of $8 million. With the money owed to Smith that significant for a player of his age, there are a lot of things to consider.
In the meantime, Smith is going to take his time until he needs to have a decision. The Vikings likely won’t need one until the beginning of March anyway.
