Bears Website Floats Delusional Harrison Smith Theory

Harrison Smith is technically a free agent, and according to a Chicago Bears-themed website, he might be interested in Ben Johnson’s team for his final season.

Chicago can dream, but Smith’s real choice still looks much narrower.

There’s no earthly reason for Smith to sign with the Bears, but Ernesto Cova at Da Windy City claims the idea is on the table.

Smith to CHI Just Isn’t Realistic

This theory could’ve been left in Drafts.

DaWindyCity.com: Why Not Harrison Smith to CHI?

As the saying goes, “There’s a take for everything,” and that was in play Tuesday when Cova suggested Smith to Chicago.

He explained, “The Bears should make a run at Harrison Smith. Smith is still a free agent, and the Bears could certainly use some help at strong safety. Given Smith’s age, he’s obviously not going to be a long-term solution at the position. That said, the Bears’ Super Bowl window is wide open right now, and he’s the type of proven veteran who can help this young team push through in the second year of the Ben Johnson era.”

“The Chicago Bears already lured a former divisional rival to the Windy City. And even though the addition of WR Kalif Raymond may not be as impactful, bolstering the team while hurting an NFC North rival is a double win. Now, GM Ryan Poles might repeat that approach, this time to bolster the defense with a Minnesota Vikings star.”

The sixth-time Pro Bowler has never even remotely hinted that he’d place elsewhere, making the Bears’ theory all the more ludicrous.

Smith’s Choice Is Binary: Return to Vikings or Retirement from NFL

The issue at hand for Smith is not to re-sign with the Vikings or to explore another team. If he wanted that outcome, he could’ve explored that scenario five or six years ago.

In the 2026 offseason, Smith’s self-admitted decision is between retiring and coming back for Year No. 15 in Minnesota. Hell, just in case, the Vikings and the team’s fans held a faux retirement ceremony for him at U.S. Bank Stadium in January when Minnesota chipped off the Detroit Lions to end the season.

Since then, longtime Vikings like Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham have called it quits. He has not. Smith will choose between Year No. 15 and retirement in the very near future.

Zone Coverage‘s Chris Schad noted on Smith this week, “Getting Harrison Smith back to the Vikings defense would be a boost in an offseason that has been about improving the team without the splashy, ill-fated signings that headlined free agency a year ago. Still, even if Smith returns, he won’t be the ultimate solution for a safety room that needs help.”

The Bears’ Defensive Overhaul

Why would the Bears want Smith? Well, they’ve been busy overhauling their defense. In free agency, Chicago has lost these players:

• Andrew Billings (DL) CHI → ARI
• Jaquan Brisker (S) CHI → PIT
• Kevin Byard (S) CHI → NE
• Tremaine Edmunds (LB) CHI → NYG
• Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S) CHI → BUF
• Jonathan Owens (S) CHI → IND
• Dominique Robinson (ED) CHI → HOU
• Nahshon Wright (CB) CHI → NYJ

And the newcomers + re-signings:

• Coby Bryant (S) SEA → CHI
• Neville Gallimore (DL) IND → CHI
• Elijah Hicks (CB) CHI → CHI
• Jaylon Jones (S) CHI → CHI
• James Lynch (DL) TEN → CHI
• Cam Lewis (CB) BUF → CHI
• Jack Sanborn (LB) DAL → CHI
• Kentavius Street (DL) ATL → CHI

Smith would evidently play situational between Bryant and Jones — or so goes the theory.

All Signs Point to a Return to MIN for Smith

Smith’s indecision likely speaks volumes if you think about it for a moment. Players nearing retirement usually sound ready to hang up their cleats, and back in January, Smith sounded like he was on the verge of retiring, saying he was “leaning one way” without elaborating. Vikings fans even treated Week 18 as a potential farewell.

Now in March, he hasn’t closed the door on returning. A source told VikingsTerritory in February that Smith is “50/50” on returning, adding that he “has a hard time walking away.”

That tracks with Smith’s strong finish to the 2025 season. After battling an early-season ailment, he rebounded and recorded a couple of interceptions. Timing may also be a factor. The Vikings are suddenly looking like contenders again. With Kyler Murray now in the building, Super Bowl aspirations are resurfacing. For a player like Smith, retiring right before Minnesota makes a serious title run would be painstaking.

The prospect of the Vikings winning a championship the season after he retires would be criminal. One thing’s for sure: Smith won’t be joining the Bears. A delusional take.