Vikings' Harrison Smith Advances to Limited Practice After Absence

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has been sidelined recently due to a personal health issue but is progressing toward a return to play. After missing practice earlier in the week and being a non-participant on Thursday, Smith took part in the team's walkthrough on Wednesday and participated in practice on a limited basis by Friday. Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed hope to ramp Smith up for the Week 1 game against the Chicago Bears, with a final decision on his status expected closer to kickoff. Alongside Smith, left tackle Christian Darrisaw also moved from limited to full practice participation, while other players like running back Zavier Scott and defensive back Elijah Williams remained out. If Smith is unavailable, backups such as Jay Ward and Theo Jackson are expected to assume expanded defensive roles. The Vikings will continue practice on Saturday before issuing injury designations for the Monday night game.