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CBS Sports Predicts Harrison Smith’s Replacement for Vikings

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Vikings safety Harrison Smith in Week 18 of 2025
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) teammates greet him on the sideline against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith sure felt like a man who would retire near the end of the 2025 regular season, but about six weeks into the offseason, Smith has offered no formal announcement about his future. If he does step away, though, CBS Sports already has a prediction for his replacement: Kamren Curl from the Los Angeles Rams, a free-agent-to-be.

CBS Sports linked Curl to the Vikings as a Smith successor, and the cap math will drive the real decision.

Kurl will test the open market in about three weeks, unless the Rams re-sign him, and if that comes to fruition, he might join Brian Flores’s unit in 2026 and beyond.

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Kamren Curl Gets Linked to the Vikings

Fans would not mind Curl on the back end of the defense.

Kamren Curl reacts after deflecting a pass against the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Minnesota Vikings Harrison Smith replacement.
Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Curl (3) reacts after breaking up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) during the second quarter on Dec. 12, 2024, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, signaling incomplete as the Rams defense tightened coverage in a pivotal NFC West showdown. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

CBS Sports Prediction: Curl to MIN

Zachary Pereles at CBS Sports sized up where the league’s Top 50 free agents might land next month, and when he got Curl’s name, the Vikings got the nod.

He wrote, “With Harrison Smith potentially retiring, Minnesota gets his replacement in Curl, a strong-tackling safety who has done solid work with both the Commanders and the Rams. Other suitors: Rams, Jets, Bears.”

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Pereles also labeled Minnesota as a possible suitor for Coby Bryant (S, SEA), Bryan Cook (S, KC), Rashid Shaheed (WR, SEA), Aaron Rodgers (QB, PIT), and Cade Mays (C, CAR).

Curl’s Statistical Biography

Curl is a rare 7th-Round success story. The Washington Commanders drafted him in 2020, two days after the Vikings picked Justin Jefferson, and Curl spent four years in the nation’s capital on his rookie deal. He signed with the Rams during the 2024 offseason, starting 33 games for Sean McVay’s team since.

All told, Curl has seen action in 93 NFL games, starting 86, and tabulating 586 total tackles, 28 passes defended, 18 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, 8 sacks, and 5 interceptions. The man is versatile.

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Here’s is resume from Pro Football Focus in the last six seasons:

2025: 77.8
2024: 67.3
2023: 65.9
2022: 82.9
2021: 69.4
2020: 68.4

He’s 6’2″ and 200 pounds, ranking as the NFL’s 16th-best safety in 2026, per PFF. Kurl is one of the NFL’s best tackling safeties, too.

Evan Craig of Turf Show Times, a Rams-themed website, noted on Kurl this week, “While Curl hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations since he was signed over from Washington, he’s still a solid veteran presence on a defensive unit that needs it. For such a young roster on that side of the ball, Los Angeles needs as much help and guidance as it can muster.”

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“The Rams should be adding this offseason, not subtracting. About a year ago, I wrote that the Rams would be wise to give up on Curl after a year, saying there was a ‘slim chance he could bounce back.’ What a difference a year makes, that I’m now writing a post urging L.A. to retain him.”

Los Angeles reached the NFC Championship again in 2025, falling short against the eventual Super Bowl winner and rival Seattle Seahawks.

Craig continued, “Re-signing him, as I said, will be tricky, due to how many suitors he’ll have this offseason, and the fact that the front office just extended Quentin Lake on a three-year, $42 million deal in January.”

“Hard to believe that the organization will pour more resources into a player like Curl when there are other pressing needs on the roster. Curl did enough last season to prove to the Rams that they should extend him.”

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Other Safety Options from Free Agency

Pretend Smith indeed retires, but the Vikings either don’t want Curl or can’t afford him. These free-agent options may pique Minnesota’s attention:

  • Alohi Gilman (BAL)
  • Andre Cisco (NYJ)
  • Dane Belton (NYG)
  • Jalen Thompson (ARI)
  • Nick Cross (IND)
  • Reed Blankenship (PHI)

There’s also the draft, where the Vikings could spend a 1st- or 2nd-Rick on Emmanuel McNeill-Warren from Toledo or Dillon Thieneman of Oregon, the two best safeties in the upcoming class after Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, who is expected to fly off the board in the Top 10.

Matthew Stafford celebrates with Kamren Curl during a Rams playoff game.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) celebrates a touchdown with safety Kamren Curl (3) during the NFC wild card matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as Los Angeles capitalized on momentum in the high-stakes postseason clash. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Currently, the Vikings have safeties Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, and Jay Ward in their 2026 roster orbit, assuming Smith walks away.

Curl’s next contract will likely pay him between $9 million and $12 million per year.

When Is the Smith Verdict?

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Yes, the Vikings hosted a farewell and retirement party for Smith in Week 18 against the Green Bay Packers. No, he hasn’t retired yet.

As each day passes, it’s more likely that Smith will return to the Vikings for one more run, Year No. 15 in the NFL. A source told VikingsTerritory in late January that Smith “has a hard time walking away,” and that he’s intrigued to return one more time because Flores signed an extension.

Harrison Smith enters the field before a 2025 game at MetLife Stadium.
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) walks onto the field before facing the New York Giants on Dec. 21, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, emerging from the tunnel as the veteran defender prepared for another late-season road test. © Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Regardless, a Smith verdict should be announced in the next 3.5 weeks, as free agency is 24 days away. “Legal tampering” — the hot-and-heavy action — begins on March 9th.

Curl will turn 27 next month. He has a few years of his prime in front of him.


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Mullins’ combine for 50/1 Triumph win with Apolon De Charnie

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Apolon De Charnie followed in the hoofprints of last year’s winner, Poniros, to provide Willie Mullins with another big-price winner of the Grade 1 JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Poniros was 100/1 in 2025, but Apolon De Charnie was half that price (50/1) this afternoon, as Mullins teamed up with his son, Patrick, in the opening race on the Boodles Gold Cup Day card.

The winner travelled strongly into second position before the final flight of hurdles and was soon ridden clear by Mullins Jnr to run out a one-and-a-half length victor over the Skelton’s Maestro Conti (5/1).

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Minella Study (7/1) from the Adam Nichol yard and ridden by Ryan Mania was a further short-head back in third.

Earlier this morning a bet of £20,000 each-way was placed on the eventual third-placer.


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Shakur Stevenson wants to fight the man who ‘beat’ Gervonta Davis: “Best vs best”

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Shakur Stevenson has welcomed a fight against a former rival of Gervonta Davis.

Stevenson is currently planning his next move after defeating Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden in January to win the WBO super-lightweight title.

That victory saw the American become a four-weight world champion, having also previously reigned at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight in his career.

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It’s currently unknown if Stevenson’s next fight will be at 135lbs or 140lbs, but one potential fight could come against a man who has competed in both of those weight classes.

Lamont Roach is the fighter in question, who gained prominence last year after a controversial majority decision draw against Gervonta Davis, with a lot of people believing he had done enough to win that fight.

Stevenson is one of them, after he revealed on the Nightcap Show that he thinks Roach should have beaten Davis, even without the controversy in round nine where ‘Tank’ voluntarily took a knee but no knockdown was scored.

“Yeah, I do [think Roach beat him]. I thought without the knee he won that fight.”

Stevenson also explained his willingness to share the ring with Roach.

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“I would love to fight Lamont Roach. Me and Lamont Roach is an amazing fight. The best vs the best.”

Roach’s last fight came in December when he was held to another draw, this time against Isaac Cruz, and he has recently been ordered for a fight against William Zepeda for the vacant WBC lightweight title, which was recently stripped from Stevenson.

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Juan Soto makes emotional dedication to mom, dad, sister & family as World Baseball Classic title hopes with Dominican Republic edge closer

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Team Dominican Republic are heading into the 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals after winning four consecutive pool games. They are up against Team Korea in Quarterfinal 1 on Friday.

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who is participating in his second WBC, shared the motivation behind his goal to win the tournament. Soto dedicated it to his family for standing beside him.

“It’s got to be for my mom and dad,” Soto said. “They’ve been there since Day 1. My sister, my brother, both. I mean my family, they just been there every time. They’ve been pushing me, they’ve been right there to my side every time, so, I’m doing this for them.

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The Dominican Republic are three wins away from clinching the tournament for the first time since 2013. Soto reflected on his dream of winning the World Series and the WBC as a kid.

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“I think it’s gonna means a lot to them,” Soto said. “It’s something that we all dreamed about since I was a little kid. My dad dreamed about winning a World Series, and now when I was growing up, seeing the Dominican team winning in 2013, it was a dreamofor me to come here and try to win it for them.

Mets star Juan Soto praised “special” Dominican Republic team

Juan Soto was an integral part of the Dominican Republic’s 2023 WBC roster. The All-Star slugger has been in similar form in this year’s tournament. Soto was among the four Dominican players to hit a home run against Venezuela in their 7-5 win.

“We know what kind of talent we have in the team,” Soto said. “It’s great. We have guys that can [hit home runs]. Guys that can have power and do all these [things], but we gotta get it done. At the end of the day, I’m a little bit impressed with these guys, with this group. It’s really special.”

The Dominican Republic are on pace to break Team Medico’s record of most home runs (14) in a World Baseball Classic campaign.