Vikings bring Harrison Smith back on one-year deal for 15th season

The wait is over for the Vikings' back end. Safety Harrison Smith is returning to Minnesota for a 15th season, ending the reunion saga that stretched through training camp after the franchise released him with a post-June 1 designation ear…

Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet): Back for more: #Vikings legend Harrison Smith is returning to Minnesota for a 15th season, per me and @MikeGarafolo, getting a 1-year deal worth $12.25M. The 6-time Pro Bowler & former All-Pro has a max value of $16.25M with playoff incentives in a deal done by @AthletesFirst.

Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, who co-reported the agreement, put the one-year deal at $12.25 million with a maximum value of $16.25 million tied to playoff incentives, negotiated by Smith's agents at Athletes First. Tom Pelissero reported the base value at $8 million with a max of $16 million with incentives — a compromise, he wrote, to keep a legacy player in the fold.

Either way, Smith is back — and the coaches made clear they wanted him. Kevin O'Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores pushed hard for his return, and at 37, Smith is coming in for what would be his second-highest-paid season. Garafolo added that Smith plans to be on the field for the season opener against Green Bay on Sept. 13.

Smith, a first-round pick in 2012, has spent his entire career in Minnesota, earning six Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro selection while becoming the identity of the defense. The Vikings left the door open all summer — O'Connell stayed in touch, Flores talked about bringing back his communication and leadership, and Jamal Adams' season-ending injury in the preseason opener thinned the room. The reunion had been seen as a matter of when, not if; now it's official.