As they did last year, Vikings safety Harrison Smith and Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers have traveled overseas to meet again.
For so long just a state apart, destined to face each other twice a season back when Rodgers helmed the Packers, Smith and Rodgers established one of the more long-lasting rivalries between a QB and DB since Smith entered the league in 2012.
The invisible string seemingly connecting the two saw them go head-to-head in London last year in Rodgers' second and final season with the Jets. As fate would have it, his signing with the Steelers this offseason set up another international showdown -- this time at Croke Park in Dublin.
"They're so unique and special," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said of Smith and Rodgers, via the team website. "But at the same time, the physical attributes of Aaron, one of the greatest throwers of the football our league has seen. And then you pair that with what he what he does for three-and-a-half hours above the neck as well. And then Harrison, kind of the same way. When you envision Minnesota Vikings football, at least when I do over the last few years, you think of that guy with the black arm sleeves and black gloves flying all over the field. We saw his impact pretty quick last week. Couldn't be more happy to have him back in there."
O'Connell added: "This is the next installment, I guess, of that battle."
Smith, who missed Minnesota's first two games of the campaign while working his way back from an illness, indeed made a quick impact as O'Connell alluded to in his season debut against the Bengals. Midway through the first quarter, Smith tipped a Jake Browning pass that was collected by Isaiah Rodgers and returned for a touchdown, the first of five turnovers forced by the Vikings during their takeaway party.
It's the type of play he's always a threat to make, as evidenced by Smith being the only individual to have both two-plus sacks and two-plus interceptions against Rodgers, per NFL Research.
"He's a very unique player to play against, just because of the way he plays the position and the things he's able to do just with his awareness and his efficiency," Smith said regarding Rodgers. "Even stuff you don't notice, just his ball handling, his fakes, stuff like that, it's really high level.
"It's crazy when you see [21st season] on the scouting report. It's always been a challenge playing against him -- a very high level of appreciation for what he's able to do and continue to do."
But it won't just be Smith and Rodgers, one-on-one in Dublin.
Rodgers has all of Minnesota's defense to worry about, namely defensive coordinator Brian Flores' dangerous concoction of blitzes. The Vikings boast a 41.3 blitz rate since 2024, the highest in the NFL, while Rodgers' 5.7 passing yards per attempt versus the blitz in that same span rank the lowest for any QB with at least 350 attempts.
As spectacular as he's been, Rodgers, 41, is simply less able to evade an oncoming rush or make magic happen in the face of one than years prior.
Perhaps Smith will get home against him again, as he did in London last season when he sacked Rodgers. It's just as possible, though, that the savvy QB finds a way to get one (or a few) over on Smith and Co.
Considering Rodgers admitted in June that the 2025 season could be his last -- coupled with the QB and safety residing in different conferences -- Sunday likely marks the last iteration of their yearslong cat-and-mouse game.
Whoever comes out on top will help their team to a 3-1 start.
