Last year, veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith signed with the Eagles a day after the team’s season opener but only lasted five weeks in Philadelphia before announcing his midseason retirement. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Eagles have reportedly terminated Smith from their reserve/retired list, opening the door for the 33-year-old to make a return to the league, should he find the right situation.
Yes, Smith will be 34 years old by the start of the regular season, but he is only two seasons removed from a nine-sack 2024 season split between the Browns and Lions. At his prime, though, Smith was routinely putting up sack totals in the double-digits. After exhausting his rookie contract in Baltimore with 18.5 sacks in four years, Smith joined the Packers and delivered two Pro Bowl campaigns in three years.
In his first season with the Packers, Smith put up career highs in sacks (13.5), tackles for loss (17), and quarterback hits (37). He didn’t quite match those numbers in his second Pro Bowl season, but his 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 23 quarterback hits were enough to land him second-team All-Pro honors. A back injury that had bothered him all through training camp in his third year in Green Bay limited him to only one game and led to his release, but Smith rebounded in 2022 with the Vikings, giving Minnesota 10.0 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 24 quarterback hits en route to his third Pro Bowl season.
The Vikings traded Smith to Cleveland the next year, and after a disappointing 2023 campaign, the Browns sold high on him, trading him to Detroit before the trade deadline the next season. Smith went unsigned for the entire offseason following his half-season with the Lions, and his announcement shortly after arriving in Philadelphia came as a shock to the league.
With the Eagles releasing him from the contractual rights they retained following his retirement, Smith will now be able to seek out new opportunities and find a team that best fits his situation. A few of his former teams all oddly appear to be in need of some pass rush depth, so a reunion may be on the table.
Has there been any rumblings or him even stating that he wants to return? Or is this purely just speculation after him getting his release?