EAGAN, Minn. — Vikings safety Harrison Smith is expected to make a full recovery from a personal health issue that caused him to miss the final two weeks of training camp, sources said Thursday. But his timetable for returning to practice, and his availability for the start of the regular season, remains uncertain.
Smith has been named to six Pro Bowls and, even at 36, remains one of the Vikings’ top defensive players. Minnesota routinely gives veterans rest days during training camp, but Smith’s last day of practice was Aug. 11. Two days later, coach Kevin O’Connell said Smith was away from the team because of an illness.
Smith was not seen at any subsequent practice, nor at either of the Vikings’ final two preseason games. His status is being evaluated weekly, the sources said.
If Smith is unable to play in the Vikings’ Sept. 8 game at the Chicago Bears, he likely would be replaced in the starting lineup by longtime backup Theo Jackson. Josh Metellus is Minnesota’s other starting safety, although defensive coordinator Brian Flores frequently rotates him through other positions.
The team’s actions this week, however, do not point to a long absence. The Vikings included Smith on their 53-man roster rather than putting him on injured reserve, which would have sidelined him for a minimum of four games. He was also announced as one of eight captains for the 2025 season, a list that also featured Metellus, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, receiver Justin Jefferson, running back Aaron Jones Sr., long-snapper Andrew DePaola, linebacker Jonathan Greenard and right tackle Brian O’Neill.
Smith, the second of Minnesota’s two first-round draft picks in 2012, recorded three interceptions and one sack among 87 tackles in 2024. That made him one of six defensive backs in NFL history to record at least 35 interceptions and 20 sacks in his career. The other five — Charles Woodson, Larry Wilson, Ronde Barber, LeRoy Butler and Brian Dawkins — are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
