The Minnesota Vikings used free agency to fortify multiple needs on both sides of the football. The trenches were the main area of focus with two offensive linemen signed in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries along with defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
It wasn’t just outside free agents the Vikings brought in. They also retained two key players in the secondary in cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and safety Harrison Smith.
Harrison Smith has Hall of Fame clause in contract
After nearly two weeks, we finally got details of Smith’s contract thanks to The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling and Over The Cap. The basics are pretty simple.
- $9.901 million salary cap hit
- $2 million base salary
- $8 million signing bonus
- $250k in per game roster bonuses
- $25 million base salary in 2027 is fully guaranteed if Smith is on the roster on the third day of the 2026 league year
Nothing too crazy here for Smith. The cap hit is relatively high, but it’s not that much when you consider his contract is essentially a one-year deal worth $10.25 million.
The initial reporting of the deal had the value worth up to $14 million. The incentives in the contract that Goessling laid out are relatively standard.
- Escalating playing time bonus: $250k for playing 65% of the snaps, $500k for playing 70%, and $750k for 75%
- If Smith plays 75% of snaps, Smith is eligible for a postseason performance escalator: $250k for winning NFC title, $500k if Vikings win Super Bowl, $1 million if they win the Super Bowl and Smith wins MVP while playing 75% of snaps
- $500k for 3 or more sacks
- $1 million for first-team All-Pro, $500k for second-team
These are boilerplate incentives for Smith. None of these are considered likely to be earned, as he didn’t achieve any of them this past season. Smith is also good enough to earn the majority of those. The cap hits for whatever incentives he earns will end up hitting the salary cap in 2026.
The most interesting incentive of all of them is what everyone thinks happens to Smith after his career: Hitman to the Hall of Fame. If he gets four interceptions, Smith will receive $500k. That’s a phenomenal name for an incentive and his likely home within the next decade.
The Vikings sure know how to have fun while taking care of their players.
