DETROIT – Safety Harrison Smith prepared for Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Lions to be his 175th and final start in a 12-year career for the Vikings.
Whether or not the 34-year-old Smith chooses to retire this offseason remains to be seen. But the veteran soaked in the last moments of the season with teammates in the visitors' locker room. He signed jerseys for guys he might never see again. He talked about the memories and the possibility of walking away.
He just didn't make a formal announcement. Because there will never be one from the stoic, understated safety whose pads always hit harder than his words.
"Whenever I retire, I'm not going to tell you," Smith said with a smirk. "You'll figure it out. I'll say this: It's hard to have the ability to play and not have a desire to play. Whatever that gives you, I'm not trying to be ominous or anything. Right now, my shoulder hurts."
The phrase "desire to play" rings loud from Smith, who has talked about his typical routine every year as assessing whether he can physically still hang with a young league.
His routine also involves deciding on his future whenever he gets there. Smith became a father in May 2022 to a daughter, Eleanor, who comes first.
"It'd be cool if I had a process," Smith said. "Just kind of continue living my life and spend some time with my family. When I start thinking about it, I'll start thinking about it."
Smith's desire might have been tested through years of growing pains from a rotating cast of young cornerbacks.
Vikings corners were exploited frequently after Byron Murphy Jr. went down in the Dec. 16 loss at Cincinnati. Murphy told the Star Tribune on Sunday that he suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain, which occurred on his third snap of the Bengals game. Murphy played through the injury but missed the last three games of the season. He said he didn't require surgery.
The Vikings were also without cornerback Mekhi Blackmon on Sunday because of a shoulder injury, and cornerback Akayleb Evans was pulled again against the Lions when quarterback Jared Goff threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns. That included a 70-yard strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown, whose fourth-quarter score gave Detroit a 27-13 lead.
"It kind of got away from us toward the end [of the season]," Smith said. "But there were a lot of positives."
Smith's 34 career interceptions trail only former teammate Patrick Peterson (36) for the NFL lead among active players. His 175 starts for the Vikings are the most by a defensive back in franchise history and rank third among all defenders. Only four Vikings safeties have ever intercepted more passes than the 2012 first-round pick.
Smith said he will miss the locker room camaraderie when he walks away.
"You can't really replace it anywhere," he said. "You can try, but it's not the same. That's missed. The feeling you get on game day, the highest level of competition in this sport that you can find. You can't buy a spot out there. That's what makes it so special."
Safety Josh Metellus, whose growth this season represented a bright spot, credited Smith for welcoming him with open arms as a 2020 sixth-round pick.
"He's a big part of who I am and where I'm at in my career," Metellus said. "Just knowing what it looks like and how to be a leader and player in this league. I had a prime example in front of me."
Smith did not appear to be wrestling with the idea of retirement.
"I've been at peace for a while," Smith said. "When I was a kid, I never thought I'd play in the NFL. To have a career I've had to this point, it's pretty cool. Got to play with a lot of great people, a lot of great players and coaches. Lot of struggle, a lot of ups and downs. It's kind of what makes it so fun, too. Sorry, I don't have any more info."
