"Hitman" Harrison Smith's dominant NFL career, marked by legendary Viking stats and an undeniable impact, may be drawing to a close.
Nothing is official yet, but it's likely we've seen star NFL safety and former Notre Dame standout Harrison Smith play his final snap in a football uniform. The 14-year veteran wrapped up the 2025 regular season helping the Vikings defeat their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, 16-3. The season did not go the way many thought for the Vikings, especially based on what they did in 2024 going 14-3, but that didn't stop the 36 year old safety from racking up 54 total tackles, one forced fumble, 10 passes defended and two interceptions.
Smith has been one of the best safeties in the sport since his emergence at the position back in college in 2008 for the Fighting Irish. In his collegiate career, Smith racked up 286 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, seven interceptions and three forced fumbles. His seven interceptions came in one season, 2010. Smith's performance in college got him drafted 29th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2012 NFL Draft. He remained with the Vikings for the duration of his career, something extremely rare in this day and age of football.
The Knoxville, Tennessee native didn't wait long to burst onto the scene at the professional level. As a rookie, Smith finished the regular season second on the team in total tackles with 104, led the team interceptions with three and was second on the team in passes defended with 11. From the minute he stepped foot in the National Football League, Smith didn't look back and he continued to put together one of the better safety performances we've seen in the last decade.
As of 2025, Smith has 1,181 total tackles, 21.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 39 interceptions and four returned for touchdowns (two came during his rookie season in 2012). His 39 interceptions places him 4th all time in the Vikings organization and his 13 forced fumbles ranks him 8th all time. Smith's 206 games played ranks him 5th all time amongst defenders in the Vikings organization and his 860 solo tackles ranks No. 1 overall in the history of the Vikings organization.
His impact role on the defense over the years earned him the nickname "Hitman" and based on how he played on the field, that was the correct one. He was a massive hitter on the second level of the Vikings defense and a defender that quarterbacks didn't enjoy throwing against. The Tennessee native finished with five interceptions four times throughout his career (2014, 2017, 2020, 2022). He also finished with double-digit passes defended in seven of the 14 season he played in the league.
Obviously, this isn't official news and Smith still has a decision to make this upcoming offseason. But his send off against the Packers this past Sunday was pretty telling. If this was, in fact, his last season playing in the NFL, Smith will go down as one of the best safeties in the game in the 2010's. His performance paved the way for other Notre Dame safeties to make a name for themselves in the league. If it were up to me, Harrison Smith is a no-brainer NFL Hall of Famer. His impact on the game and performance on the field warrant it.
-------
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!