Former Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith will surprisingly be looking for a new team when free agency begins this week. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Detroit Lions plan to release the veteran defensive end.
Source: The #Lions plan to release pass rusher Za'Darius Smith.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 9, 2025
NFL veteran had nine sacks last season.
The Cleveland Browns traded the 32-year-old pass rusher to the Lions before the NFL trade deadline. Smith getting traded to the NFC North wasn’t unfamiliar territory, as he played three years in Green Bay and one in Minnesota.
In his short stint with Detroit, Smith gave the Lions’ pass rush a much-needed boost, which was hammered by injuries throughout the 2024 season.
The veteran defender produced 12 combined tackles, 15 quarterback pressures, 10 quarterback hits, four sacks, and three tackles for loss in eight games. Smith had nine total sacks in the 2024 season between the Lions and Browns.
The former Packers defensive lineman now heads to free agency looking to join a contender in need of a pass rusher. Green Bay is one of those teams that could use another pass rusher, but it's unlikely there will be a reunion.
In his first two seasons with the Packers, Smith was one of the better pass rushers in the NFL, racking up 26 sacks. The veteran defender was rewarded for his efforts as he was named to the Pro Bowl twice and second team All-Pro in 2020.
However, Smith didn’t have an opportunity to build off his back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns in his last year with the Packers. The veteran edge had a back injury, which forced him to go on injured reserve.
The veteran defensive lineman recently spoke about that injury with Ty Dunne’s Go Long late last year. Smith talked to Dunne about the injury and how mad he was with the Packers handled it.
That said, don’t look for Smith to be coming back to Green Bay anytime soon. However, Smith should have a few suitors in free agency based on how he played last season.