The Green Bay Packers’ trade for edge rusher Micah Parsons last week sent shockwaves around the football world, as the Packers officially told the NFC and the NFL that they are serious contenders for the Lombardi Trophy.
Green Bay fans knew that for this team to compete for a title, they needed a bona fide edge rusher who could be a game breaker. They saw this up close last year in the playoffs, as the Philadelphia Eagles won a Super Bowl thanks to their defensive line.
If the Packers’ defense can take that next step with Parsons in 2025, the sky is the limit for this unit and team.
That being said, the defending Super Bowl champs decided that they needed to make a splash of their own on Friday after seeing Parsons go to Green Bay. According to Jordan Schultz, the Eagles are signing former Packers pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to a one-year deal with an upside of $9 million.
Eagles Try to Copy Packers, Sign Za’Darius Smith
It’s not surprising the Eagles ultimately decided to sign Smith. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Philadelphia made “a strong play” to try to trade for Parsons this summer.
However, the Cowboys had no interest in trading Parsons to their division rival, let alone the defending Super Bowl champions, which ultimately was good news for the Packers in the end.
That said, Smith isn’t the same caliber of pass rusher or class of Parsons. But seeing how the Eagles’ defensive line looked on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, they needed to add another piece.
Last season with the Detroit Lions, Smith had four sacks in eight games. It was the third NFC North team that the veteran defender has played with. Smith spent three years in Green Bay, where he had 26 sacks and made two Pro Bowls. The veteran also played one year with the Minnesota Vikings, where he made the Pro Bowl again after racking up 10 sacks.
Luckily for Packers fans, they will get a chance to see Smith this season as the Eagles are set to visit Lambeau Field in Week 10 for a primetime affair. At that point, we’ll get to see if Philly wishes they had Parsons instead of the former Packer in Smith.