Who Can Fill The Harrison Smith Leadership Void?
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The last time Harrison Smith wasn’t on the Minnesota Vikings, Justin Jefferson was only 13, Barack Obama was President of the United States, and Taylor Swift was still looking for her first No. 1 single. It’s a different world now, one that will undergo another major change (at least, one that resonates near the waters of Lake Minnetonka) if Smith’s Retirement Watch ends this offseason.
Since the Vikings drafted Smith 29th overall in the 2012 Draft, he has been one of their most prominent leaders on and off the field. While the first thing might not be his vocal leadership, his quiet excellence has held the respect of players inside the locker room, and across the league, for over a decade. While others from the 2012 Draft, like Matt Kalil and Blair Walsh, long ago fell out of favor with Vikings fans, Smith has been a beloved constant.
There were people who thought his career would be over last offseason, but he decided to come back for 2024, with most believing it would be his last hurrah. After Minnesota’s playoff loss against the LA Rams, Smith admitted it would take a while to make his decision about 2025.
“There’s a lot that goes into this,” said Smith. “It’s not strictly players, and I just want to give my thanks to everybody that makes it go. Obviously, wish we could’ve had a better result here today, but that’s tough to swallow right now. But it’s been one of the most fun teams I’ve ever played on at any level, and there’s a lot to be said about this group, and I really wish I had a couple more weeks with them, to be honest.”
Maybe the fun he had will be enough for Smith to come back, but he’s also 35 years old, and at some point, your body just says no more. If he does decide to hang it up and start the clock for his inevitable induction into the Hall of Fame, who can replace the leadership?
On offense, Justin Jefferson took on a bigger leadership role this season, and J.J. McCarthy will be a natural leader being the quarterback, but the defense will have a leadership void. It doesn’t need to be just one guy, but it does have to be filled by somebody.
The first thought that comes to mind is Cam Bynum if he’s back with the Vikings… and that looks like a big if. Bynum said after the season that he would like to be back in the Purple and Gold, but he will have plenty of suitors in the free-agent market. Even though many fans primarily remember him for leading the celebrations after turnovers this season, Bynum was also starting to take on more of that vocal leadership role.
On defense, there are other natural candidates on the roster already, including Harrison Phillips, Ivan Pace Jr., and Blake Cashman. Phillips is already a team captain and a leader in the community with his foundation, “Harrison’s Playmakers,” where his work made him a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year. Pace is already a vocal leader on the field, especially with the linebacker corps, and even though he wasn’t the vocal leader with Harrison Smith, he does have that alpha personality that usually fits the role. Cashman already wears the green dot, calling the defense, which gives him some leadership status, as well as the defense.
The Vikings could always look outside the organization for a new leader of the defense, and if Smith does hang it up, they are going to need to find a replacement for him on the field, as well. But it makes the most sense that the new vocal leaders come from inside the organization.
Maybe Bynum, Cashman, Pace, or Phillips will emerge as the chief vocal leader, but if all four players come back for 2025, it will probably be a leadership-by-committee type of approach. The best-case scenario for the Vikings is that Smith feels good enough to return to lead the Vikings to glory, but even if he decides to hang up the cleats, the team is in good shape in leadership for next season.
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