Vikings DB Harrison Smith’s return gets candid response from Jordan Love

The return of Minnesota Vikings defensive back Harrison Smith for a 15th season in the NFL has turned a lot of heads, especially in the NFC North. Green Bay Packers star quarterback Jordan Love also shared his thoughts on Smith coming back for another season.

“I thought he was retired. I thought he was. Him coming out of retirement [is] good for him. That’s cool. We’ll see. We’ll plan for him being out there and adjust whatever the case may be, but yeah he’s a very good player so got a lot of respect for him,” Love told reporters on Wednesday, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Smith thought about hanging up his cleats for good following the 2025 NFL campaign, but got lured back into giving it another go in the league was seemingly too much for him to pass up on. Minnesota’s need for depth in the secondary also appeared to have played a role in Smith’s decision to keep it going in the NFL.

The Vikings selected former Miami Hurricanes safety Jakobe Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and signed veteran safety Jamal Adams. However, Adams suffered a quadriceps injury that ended his 2026 season before it could even begin. Thomas also dealt with a back injury that forced him to miss time in the summer.

With Smith, Minnesota has a reliable veteran who showed in 2025 that he can still get things done.

In 15 games (including 12 starts) last season, Smith had 10 passes defended, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack, while adding two quarterback hits. He also has six career interceptions at Green Bay’s expense, and he will look to add to that on Sunday, when the Vikings take on the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

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