{
  "id": 5861171,
  "title": "Vikings sign S Harrison Smith ahead of Week 1 matchup with Packers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/vikings-sign-s-harrison-smith-ahead-of-week-1-matchup-with-packers",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T23:26:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-sign-harrison-smith-ahead-232650578.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - January 4 - The Minnesota Vikings have secured safety Harrison Smith for the upcoming Week 1 showdown against the Green Bay Packers, according to reports from NFL Network and ESPN’s Mike Garafolo. The contract agreement is for one year, worth $12.25 million; however, Smith has incentive clauses that could push his total earnings to $16.25 million. Smith previously donned the Vikings' colors, securing All-Pro honors back in 2017 and 2018 before being released at the start of the 2026 NFL season. With a contract extension, Smith is expected to be in top form when the Vikings face the Packers on Sunday. Smith has been under the tutelage of Minnesota's head coach Brian Flores since Flores took charge of the defensive coordinator role in 2023, making the transition into the new defensive system a relatively smooth one. To fill the void left by Smith's departure, the Vikings drafted third-round pick Jakobe Thomas and subsequently signed undrafted rookie Jacob Thomas from the draft in April. Both new signings made the team's initial 53-man roster for the upcoming season. For the Packers, the return of Smith presents an additional challenge for their team to overcome in the highly anticipated Week 1 matchup against their divisional rivals.",
  "summary": "Minnesota will be getting back their former All-Pro safety before the start of the regular season",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Vikings reportedly bring back Harrison Smith for 15th season on 1-year, $12.3 million deal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/vikings-reportedly-bring-back-harrison-smith-for-15th-season-on-1",
        "published": "2026-09-05T23:27:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}