Several Minnesota Vikings stars are either headed to the market or face the chopping block with free agency less than two months away.

One such player is safety Harrison Smith, who turns 35 years old in February. The 12-year NFL veteran and six-time Pro Bowler reworked his deal to remain with Minnesota in 2023, and Alec Lewis of The Athletic contended Tuesday, January 29, that Smith will likely need to do so again to avoid an offseason cut.

Even if Smith returns for his 13th NFL season, don’t expect him to be playing on his projected cap hit of around $19.2 million. That number would be the fifth largest among safeties in 2024. Even though defensive coordinator Brian Flores raved about Smith’s presence at the end of the season, that cap hit does not align with Smith’s production.

Last offseason, Smith accepted a significant pay cut to remain in Minnesota. A similar approach makes sense in the event Smith seeks another season, and that could save the Vikings upwards of $10 million [in] cap space for 2024.

Harrison Smith Among Vikings’ Most Likely Salary Cap Casualties

Smith still has two years remaining on a $64 million extension, which makes him a favorable cut candidate for the Vikings if he isn’t willing to take less money in 2024. Such was the premise of a January 16 article from Bleacher Report, which named Smith the franchise’s most likely cap casualty.

“Even if Smith decides to keep playing, the Vikings may look to get younger and cheaper at the position,” BR’s Scouting Department wrote. “If Smith wants to keep playing for Minnesota, a contract restructuring may be necessary. Releasing Smith outright would save $11.4 million off the salary cap, while releasing him with a post-June 1 designation would save $15.3 million.”

Minnesota currently has more than $29 million in salary cap space, which isn’t an insignificant amount. However, increasing that figure by more than 50% by cutting Smith — who is about to be closer to age 40 than age 30 — would be a boon for a franchise that must soon navigate the impending free agency of its starting QB (Kirk Cousins) and top edge-rusher (Danielle Hunter).

Vikings Face Devastating Financial Hits if They Don’t Extend Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter

If the Vikings allow both Cousins’ and Hunter’s contracts to void, the team will incur a projected $43.4 million combined cap hit in 2024 — $28.5 million from Cousins and $14.9 million from Hunter.

Extending either Cousins or Hunter would erase that man’s devastating dead cap hit, allowing the Vikings to avoid financial handcuffs without the benefit of keeping the player(s) costing the franchise that money. A new contract for either player, or both, will be far more feasible if Minnesota has the extra $15 million it can pocket by cutting ties with Smith this summer.

Another out for the Vikings is if Smith simply decides to retire. Doing so would mean leaving a lot of money on the table, but the safety recently indicated that outcome might be a possibility as he battles the rigors of a long NFL career.

“It’s hard to have the ability to play and not have a desire to play,” Smith told Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune on January 8. “Whatever that gives you, I’m not trying to be ominous or anything. Right now my shoulder hurts.”