The Minnesota Vikings announced Monday that they’ve signed S Harrison Smith to a contract extension.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Smith receives a five-year, $51.25 million extension with $15.278 million fully guaranteed.
- The contract includes $28.578 million in total guarantees and a signing bonus of $10 million, according to Rapoport.
- The three-year average of the contract comes out to $10.75 million.
- Smith is now the highest paid safety in the NFL.
“It’s very hard to put into words right now,” Smith said. “Coming into the league, getting an opportunity, getting drafted by Rick and being able to stay around here and be a part of what we’re building here, what Coach Zim is building, it’s huge in every type of way I can think off, to be able to stay in this building and chase that championship.”
“You’ve seen it from his rookie year on,” GM Rick Spielman said. “It’s hard to find a guy with that size that plays as aggressively as he does, but also has very unique instincts. We feel very strongly that he’s one of the difference makers on our defense that can make game-changing plays, and those are the guys you want to keep around.”
The Vikings made it clear that getting an extension in place for Smith was among their top priorities this offseason, so this shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
Smith, 27, played out his four-year, $7,138,546 rookie contract before the Vikings picked up his fifth-year option last year. He’s set to make a base salary of $5.278 million for the 2016 season.
In 2015, Smith appeared in 13 games for the Vikings and recorded 66 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown, a forced fumble, and three pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 1 safety out of 88 qualifying players.
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