Harrison Smith agrees to restructure contract to stay with Minnesota Vikings, per report

The Minnesota Vikings seem to be undergoing a youth movement this off season. The Vikings have watched a handful of their top veteran players leave the franchise during the 2024 free agency period. However, veteran safety Harrison Smith isn’t going anywhere as he has agreed through a restructured contract that will keep him in Minnesota for the 2024 season.

“Six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith has agreed to a restructured contract and will play a 13th season with the #Vikings at age 35, per sources. The 29th overall pick in 2012, Smith has 34 career INTs, becoming one of the best safeties of his era… and he’s not done yet,” said NFL insider Tom Pelissero via X.

The 12 going on 13-year veteran’s reworked deal is worth $9 million next season. It allows Minnesota some additional cap relief while allowing the Vikings to retain one of their top playmakers for the 2024-25 campaign.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline comes the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match, that round’s pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.