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Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell Provides Key Harrison Smith Update
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The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran safety Jamal Adams right as the team gets training camp underway. Adams has a connection with general manager Nolan Teasley from their time together with the Seattle Seahawks.
Last season with the Las Vegas Raiders , Adams earned a 67.3 overall PFF defensive grade while playing 448 total snaps. The veteran recorded 38 solo tackles, generated seven total pressures, one sack, allowed a 98.6 passer rating when targeted in coverage, and was charged with 12 missed tackles.
As a result, the signing makes sense from the Teasley perspective. Nonetheless, with the arrival of Adams, there’s the question of whether this will impact whether Harrison Smith will be returning to the Vikings for the 2026 NFL season.
On July 28, Teasley and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke with the media and shared the latest regarding Smith.
“I would just say I spoke to him recently, just like I always do, and we had a great conversation,” O’Connell told reporters . “Nothing has really changed. But there was never an expectation, at least on my end or our end.
“I believe that now would be the time we would really dive into that, and we’ll continue to have dialogue with him and keep you guys updated if there were to be anything come about with that.”
Vikings Insider on Harrison Smith After Jamal Adams News
Last season, Smith showed that he can still produce despite being in his late 30s. He was out on the field for 793 total snaps, leading to a 68.9 defensive grade .
Furthermore, the Vikings veteran allowed an 81.0 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks. Smith surrendered 21 receptions in coverage and also contributed 42 solo tackles in run support and open-field situations.
Moreover, on the July 27 edition of “The Alec Lewis Show, “ Vikings beat reporter for The Athletic, Alec Lewis, noted that he doesn’t see Adams’ signing having an impact on Smith’s future.
“Harrison Smith’s future has no declaration on this signing, “ Lewis said. “If you’ve listened to me, if you’ve read my writing, I have continuously said that Harrison remains undecided and is still mulling the idea of returning for a 15th season at 37 years old.
“We’ve talked in past episodes about why the Vikings would love to have him and why it makes a lot of sense. I would just say Harrison Smith is a sheer competitor. So to hang it up is not going to be easy for him, whether that happens now or whether that happens later. “
When Could Harrison Smith Come Back Should He Decide to Play
Meanwhile, in June, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber predicted when he could see the safety potentially return if he decides to play this season.
“I could see him coming back and saying, ‘Okay, I’ll use the bye week to sort of make sure that I’m in football shape. Maybe be on a snap count for the first game or two after that, ‘” Leber said in a June 14 video on his YouTube channel .
“And then after that, he’s playing full-time. But I get the sense that he’s not done. He’ll play for part of the season, but I think that’s a major factor because we saw what happens when he’s not in the lineup.”
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The Minnesota VikingsJamal AdamsAdamsNolan TeasleySeattle Seahawks.LastLas Vegas RaidersPFFVikings HC Kevin O’Connell Provides Key Harrison Smith UpdateHEAVYPhotoDavid BerdingGetty Images
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