Harrison Smith is still being brought along carefully by the Minnesota Vikings, and the snap counts through five games show a steady climb rather than a full return to the workload he carried in previous seasons. When Smith decided to come back this season it was after training camp, and didn’t have ramp up period. Even though he had been keeping his body in shape, his workload is increasing each game.
Harrison Smith’s Usage Uptick
The 37-year-old safety has played roughly 140 defensive snaps so far, which comes out to about 47 percent of the team’s total. The percentage has moved upward week by week. Against Green Bay in the opener, he was on the field for 38 percent. The following week in Chicago, it was 39 percent. In Tampa it rose to 45 percent. Then in Miami and New Orleans it settled at 64 percent both times.
Those later figures are closer to a regular role, but they are still well short of the near-every-down share he logged for much of his career. The increase has been gradual, and head coach Kevin O’Connell and DC Brian Flores don’t seem concerned with the numbers as much as keeping him fresh.
Vikings Want Harrison Smith “Fresh”
Kevin O’Connell has addressed the approach directly. He said the staff wants to keep Smith fresh so that the snaps he does take are more effective. Last year Smith moved into a heavier role after the bye. This year, O’Connell indicated, the plan looks different. The safety room has more depth, and that has given the coaches options they did not always have. O’Connell has also talked about the specific roles players fill on defense and noted that Harrison Smith’s usage has already gone up from the opening weeks. The stated goal is to have him available and sharp in the situations where his experience still stands out, particularly on obvious passing downs.
That has shaped how he is being used. Smith has been off the field for a good number of early-down and run plays. Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson have taken more of that work, while Smith has come in more often when the offense is in obvious throwing situations. The coaching staff has not framed the bye as the moment when the pitch count disappears. O’Connell has said they intend to keep working Smith in more as the season continues, but the priority remains protecting his freshness so he is not grinding through full games by the middle of the year.
Hitman Still An Impact Player
Smith’s presence still affects how the rest of the secondary lines up, even at the current share of snaps. Opposing quarterbacks have to account for him when he is out there, and the communication that comes with having him on the field has been part of the reason the coaches brought him back. The numbers have moved in one direction each month, and the public comments from O’Connell suggest that direction will continue. It just will not happen all at once or reach the levels of a full-time starter immediately after the open date. Harrison Smith’s impact is still being felt on third down plays, where Minnesota is only allowing opposing teams to convert on 22.2% and leading the league.
For a player in his 15th season, the Vikings appear content to treat the increase as something that stretches across the year. The early weeks showed a limited role while Smith got his timing back after missing most of camp. The more recent games have shown a larger share without turning into an every-down assignment. How far that share climbs from here will depend on health, the opponent, and how the coaches continue to balance the desire for his presence against the need to keep him effective when he is on the field. So far, the staff has stuck to that balance, and the snap counts reflect it.
Steve is also the host of the Vikings Playbook Podcast and the Fantasy 15 Fantasy Football Podcast/Website at Fantasy15Football.com.
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