Free agency could lead to a few notable departures in the Vikings’ secondary. Retirement is another means by which the team could be shorthanded heading into 2025, though. 
Safety Harrison Smith said (via Andrew Kramer of the Minnesota Star Tribune) he will give thought to hanging up his cleats this offseason. That was the case last year, but he and the team agreed to a restructured pact which paved the way for him to play a 13th campaign in Minnesota. Smith remained a full-time starter in 2024, and after being held without an interception the previous year he recorded three this past season.
As a result, his absence would be acutely felt in the event a retirement decision were to be made. Smith, 36, said he was not leaning that way in the wake of the Vikings’ wild-card loss, and if he were to play in 2025 he would carry a modest cap hit of $6.57MM. The six-time Pro Bowler would be expected to remain in a first-team role if he were to continue his career, one which has seen him cement his status as one of the top defenders in franchise history.
Smith has played 192 regular season games, the most by a defensive back amongst all Vikings players. That figure ranks eighth in franchise history, and his 37 career interceptions are the most with respect to active players. The Notre Dame product’s leadership in addition to his production would be difficult to replace, although working out a new deal with pending free agent Camryn Bynum could allow for continuity on the backend. Josh Metellus has logged a heavy defensive workload over the past two years and he could step into a full-time starting role in the event Smith were to end his career.
Just like Smith, cornerback Stephon Gilmore will give thought to retirement. The former Defensive Player of the Year has bounced around the league since the end of his Patriots tenure, spending time with the Panthers, Colts and Cowboys before inking a one-year Vikings pact in August. That deal provided the team with a full-time starter opposite Byron Murphy, and Gilmore helped Minnesota finish the year with the NFL’s fifth-ranked scoring defense.
“It’s more this year,” the 34-year-old said (via Kramer) of considering retirement. “Older, body feeling it a little bit more. Just wasn’t thinking about it during the season, but now looking back at how I feel, I’ll definitely be thinking about it.”
Murphy is in line to command a notable free agent market, while Shaquill Griffin is also in need of a new deal. Losing either of those two in addition to Gilmore hanging up his cleats would leave cornerback as even more of an offseason priority. Much of Minnesota’s outlook over the spring will of course depend on what happens with quarterback Sam Darnold, but the decisions Smith and Gilmore make in the near future will also be key team storylines to follow.
Retire 22 Vikings! One heck of a career.