Harrison Smith Unlikely to Be Suspended After Week 4 Ejection

Smith was tossed for a helmet-to-helmet hit against Texans tight end Jordan Akins. He won't miss the Seahawks game.

Late in the first half of the Vikings' win over the Texans on Sunday, All-Pro safety Harrison Smith was controversially ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Houston tight end Jordan Akins. The NFL's replay center in New York decided that the hit warranted an ejection, but Mike Zimmer was livid on the sidelines about his best defensive player getting tossed.

Whenever there's an ejection, there's always the possibility of a further fine or suspension. It sounds like Smith has at least avoided the latter. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Smith "isn't expected to be suspended" for the play.

That's important news for a Vikings defense that already faces a daunting task of going against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks' high-powered offense in Seattle next Sunday. Doing so without their veteran leader would've been extraordinarily difficult. George Iloka filled in for Smith in the second half in Houston and had some unsurprising struggles.

Here's the hit from Smith on Akins:

And here's what Zimmer had to say about it after the game:

"I love Harrison Smith like he's my son, first of all," Zimmer said. "My issue has always been, the quarterback's gonna throw the ball in the middle of the field and there's no repercussions whatsoever, and Harrison is not a dirty player, he's never been a dirty player, and I feel like he tried to get his shoulder in there. They told me that the league office ejected him. If they want to give us a penalty, fine, give us a penalty, but don't eject guys. This guy's one of the best players in the NFL and one of the best people in the NFL. He's not a dirty player, so that's kind of what irritated me, I guess."

Upon watching the replay, it does appear that Smith was leading with his shoulder. Akins dropped his head while falling to the ground, making it a difficult thing for the defensive player to avoid. The fact that there didn't seem to be any ill intent, combined with Smith's reputation as a clean player, probably contributed to the lack of a suspension.

Smith is currently PFF's No. 4 safety in the league. He recorded his 24th career interception against Ryan Tannehill in Week 3.

The Vikings and Seahawks play on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.

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