Another notable NFL player is hitting the open market. The Detroit Lions are releasing three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, according to ESPN. The 32-year-old Smith recorded nine sacks in 17 games during the 2024 season.
Smith was dealt from Cleveland to Detroit before last year’s trade deadline. He had four sacks in eight games while helping the Lions win their second straight NFC North division title. Smith was brought to Detroit to help bolster a Lions pass rush that had lost pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the year after five games.
A 2015 fourth-round pick, Smith spent his first four seasons as a part-time starter with the Ravens. In 2019, Smith signed a four-year, $66 million contract with the Packers after recording 8.5 sacks during his final season in Baltimore.
Smith blossomed into a Pro Bowl player in Green Bay, as he was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two years with the team. During those years, Smith recorded a combined 26 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 29 tackles for loss.
The Packers released Smith in 2022 after a back injury kept him out for virtually the entire 2021 season. He signed that offseason with the Vikings and made his third Pro Bowl that season after racking up 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He played just year with the Vikings, however, as Minnesota traded Smith to the Browns during the 2023 offseason. Smith had 10.5 sacks in 26 games with the Browns.
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By releasing him now, Smith will get a chance to test the market with the NFL’s legal tampering period starting on Monday. Conversely, the Lions will now begin the search for Smith’s replacement.
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