The Green Bay Packers have been enjoying watching the Minnesota Vikings flounder through the first two weeks of free agency. Their starting quarterback situation is up in the air with Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, and J.J. McCarthy all in the running for the job.Â
Then there’s the Vikings’ defense, which parted ways with Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, and the Packers were able to benefit from that. It's unclear if Minnesota will keep Jonathan Greenard, whose name has popped up in trade rumors.Â
Now, all the Packers need is for veteran safety Harrison Smith to hang up the cleats, and they’ll be overjoyed heading into the 2026 season. Smith is still deciding whether to retire after playing 14 years in the NFL.
However, on Thursday, we might’ve received a small indication that Smith might not be ready to call it a career, which will not make Matt LaFleur and the Packers too happy. The veteran safety was named as an injury replacement for Los Angeles Chargers star safety Derwin James for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, which will be held on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Packers Might Not Be Rid of Harrison Smith Just Yet
Green Bay split the two-game season series with the Vikings in 2025, with the Packers taking care of business at home in Week 12. The Vikings got their revenge in Week 18, but Green Bay wasn’t playing their starters as they had a playoff game the next week.
Smith didn’t make a huge impact against the Packers, only recording one tackle in both games. However, for his career, the six-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro defender has been a thorn in the side of the Packers for many years.
The 37-year-old Smith has racked up 145 combined tackles, 11 pass deflections, eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, five quarterback hits, and three sacks. It doesn’t matter who has been under center for the Packers over the years; Smith has seemingly always found a way to make a play.
If the Vikings were to lose Smith this offseason, it could force them to roll with Jay Ward. Ward started in five games this past season after being a depth/rotational piece for the first two years of his career.
Ward wasn’t targeted much in coverage, allowing four completions (five targets) for 72 yards, while possessing a 92.6 passer rating against. However, it could be a different story if asked to be a full-time starter to replace Smith.
The Vikings hope that won’t be the case as Smith has been a vital weapon for Brian Flores over the last two seasons. That’s something one player won’t be able to fill. Packers QB Jordan Love did a better job of not turning over the ball this past season, tossing only six interceptions, which is a small improvement after back-to-back 11-interception seasons in 2023 and 2024.
As we get closer to the 2026 NFL draft and further away from free agency, the Packers will be watching to see if Smith does retire, as that will only make the Vikings’ job harder to compete in the NFC North.