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Za’Darius Smith

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/25

October 13th, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from around the NFL,including practice squad elevations for all four teams playing on Monday Night Football:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed off Ravens’ practice squad: S J.T. Gray

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

  • Waived: OL Isaac Alarcon

Washington Commanders

The Bears elevated Moody to kick in their Monday night matchup with the Commanders with Cairo Santos sidelined by a quad injury.

Eagles DE Za’Darius Smith Retires

October 13th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Adam La Rose

Za’Darius Smith has taken part in five of the Eagles’ six games this season, but his time with Philadelphia is abruptly coming to an end. The veteran pass rush announced on Instagram Monday that he is retiring.

“Who would’ve thought that a kid from Greenville, Alabama, with just one year of high school football experience, would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years,” Smith’s announcement reads in part. “Football has transformed my life and my family’s lives forever – and for that, I’m forever grateful.”

Smith has served as a starter for much of his career, and he notched four sacks upon arriving via trade in Detroit last season. In spite of that, the three-time Pro Bowler remained unsigned through training camp. One day after opening the campaign, the Eagles signed Smith to a one-year deal. He has played in all five of the team’s games since then, logging a 38% snap share.

Today’s announcement comes as quite the surprise as a result, as Smith was in position to continue handling a rotational role with his latest team. Instead, his NFL career has come to an end. This decision is a personal one and not tied to his playing time in Philadelphia, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Nevertheless, an Eagles team which entered the campaign with questions about pass rush production will be shorthanded moving forward. This news could steer the team toward a trade for an edge rusher in the near future.

Smith entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Ravens in 2015. He flashed potential with 5.5 sacks as a rookie, and after developing into a regular on defense posted 8.5 sacks in the final year of his rookie contract. That resulted in a big-ticket free agent deal with the Packers, the first of three NFC North teams Smith wound up playing for in his career.

Following his 2022 release from Green Bay, Smith seemed to have a Ravens reunion lined up. In the end, however, he signed with the Vikings. That did not lead to a lengthy tenure in Minnesota, as the Kentucky alum was traded to the Browns after one season. Smith was limited to just one game in 2021, but across his healthy campaigns with Green Bay and Minnesota he amassed 36 sacks. Expectations remained high for continued production with the Browns.

Smith was unable to establish himself as a long-term complement to Myles Garrett with a downturn in sack totals during his one full Cleveland campaign. After Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury last year, Smith was named as a candidate to be dealt to the Lions. That took place as expected, and during this past offseason Smith remained in contact with Detroit even after being released in a cost-shedding move.

With no deal being worked out on that front, though, Smith eventually took a pact with the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champions have lost two straight but they sit at 4-2 on the year and could again find themselves in contention for a deep postseason run in 2025. The team’s plans ahead of the deadline could now include the pursuit of a Smith replacement.

Smith will now turn his attention to his post-playing days at the age of 33. He exits the NFL with 154 combined regular and postseason appearances and nearly $91MM in career earnings.

Contract Details: T. Smith, Z. Smith, 49ers

September 26th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts:

  • Tyler Smith, G (Cowboys). Four years, $96MM. Receiving $41.66MM guaranteed at signing, the NFL’s highest-paid guard secured a rolling guarantee structure. Smith’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are locked in at signing. A $12MM portion of his 2027 compensation becomes fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, per Spotrac. A $19MM chunk of Smith’s 2028 compensation shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. On Day 5 of the ’28 league year, Smith stands to see $6.6MM of his ’29 compensation lock in. The Cowboys would owe Smith a $21MM option bonus by Week 1 of the 2029 season; a $20MM option bonus would be due by Week 1 of the 2030 slate. Four void years are in this contract.
  • Colton McKivitz, RT (49ers). Three years, $45MM. Of McKivitz’s $27MM guaranteed, $18.71MM is guaranteed at signing (per OverTheCap). McKivitz’s money is guaranteed in 2025 and ’26, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes an early guarantee date exists in this contract as well. McKivitz’s $12.67MM 2027 option bonus features an $8.29MM injury guarantee; $6.29MM of the latter number vests on April 1, 2026, giving the veteran tackle some early security. Another $2MM of that bonus becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027. McKivitz’s 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed. Because of the option bonuses and four void years, the deal does not bring a $10MM cap number until 2028.
  • Za’Darius Smith, OLB (Eagles). One year, $4.25MM. Initially reported as being worth up to $9MM, Smith’s Philadelphia contract carries $4.25MM in base value, per Florio. There are $2MM in sack-based incentives included, and a $500K Pro Bowl bonus is part of the package as well. The “up to” report also brought a minor inflation, with Florio adding Smith maxing out incentives would bring the value to $8.25MM.
  • Dalton Risner, G (Bengals). One year, $1.34MM. This value (reported by OverTheCap) is barely above the veteran minimum, but with Risner on the Bengals’ Week 1 roster, it is fully guaranteed (rather than just the $168K guarantee-at-signing figure). This is another pay cut for Risner, who earned $2.78MM in 2023 and $2.41MM last season.

Lions Initiate Aidan Hutchinson Extension Talks; Deal Not Expected Before Week 1

September 7th, 2025 at 7:46am CST by Nikhil Mehta

SEPTEMBER 7: Contract talks between Hutchinson and the Lions have been positive, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, no deal is expected before Detroit’s season gets underway on Sunday.

While Week 1 often serves as an artificial deadline for negotiations, Schefter does not suggest that is the case here. As such, it would not be a surprise to see an agreement announced in the coming weeks.

AUGUST 29: The Lions have opened extension talks with star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2022, became eligible for an extension earlier this offseason. The Lions picked up his fifth-year option to lock down his services in 2026 for $19.872MM, but no serious negotiations on a long-term deal picked up until recently.

Hutchinson declined to offer an update on contract talks last week, saying (via Birkett) that he preferred to be “hands-off with the process.”

“I think the business side can take away from your love of the game a little bit,” explained Hutchinson. “And that’s kind of the reality of the NFL.

But on Thursday morning, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that a “dialogue” with Hutchinson’s representation had begun. Hours later, however, Micah Parsons completely upended the EDGE market with a $47MM APY and $120MM fully guaranteed on his new deal with the Packers. It’s hard to argue that Hutchinson (or any other defender) is worth as much as Parsons, but his new contract does raise the ceiling on future edge rusher negotiations.

Hutchinson wasn’t as dominant in his first two seasons as Parsons was in his, but the former Michigan Wolverine got off to a torrid start in 2024 with 7.5 sacks in five games. It might have been difficult to carry that 25.5-sack pace through the rest of the season, but Hutchinson seemed to have a strong chance at leading the league and potentially reach 20.0 sacks, two things Parsons hasn’t done yet.

However, a broken leg abruptly ended his season after just five games, ending his shot at a record-breaking season. His recovery appears to have gone smoothly heading into the regular season, so he’ll be trying to replicate last year’s efforts and push for an APY above $40MM.

On Thursday, Holmes also said that the team has not been in recent talks to sign Za’Darius Smith, according to Birkett. The Lions acquired Smith from the Browns at the 2024 trade deadline and was released as a cap casualty before free agency. He expressed a desire to return to Detroit and stayed in touch with the team throughout the offseason. Their most recent contact was in early August, but with the regular season soon approaching, it doesn’t seem that Smith will return to the Motor City.

Eagles Sign DE Za’Darius Smith

September 5th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

10:05pm: VanSumeran suffered a torn patellar tendon on Thursday night against the Cowboys, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He will miss the rest of the season as a result.

3:30pm: The Eagles have signed one of the league’s top remaining free agents in edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, per a team announcement.

Smith met with the team in Philadelphia on Friday and passed a physical prior to signing a one-year deal with a maximum value of $9MM, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. He will bring a veteran presence to an Eagles edge rushing room that was considered to be one of the team’s weaknesses after losing Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham this offseason.

Smith, who turns 33 years old on Monday, is coming off another solid season with nine sacks and nine tackles for loss in 17 games. He spent the first half of the year in Cleveland before a deadline deal sent him to Detroit. Smith remained linked with the Lions throughout the offseason, but he instead lands in Philadelphia in another savvy move by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.

Under the CBA, veteran players receive a base salary guarantee if they are on a team’s active roster in Week 1, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Veterans signed after Week 1 do not automatically receive a guaranteed salary. Since the Eagles and the Cowboys were the first two teams to finish their Week 1 game on Thursday night, they had the first chance at signing Smith to a non-guaranteed deal. Teams may not have been willing to offer Smith a strong salary before the season since it would have become guaranteed, but the Eagles were able to offer him enough upside while managing their own risk before any club got the chance.

In Philadelphia, Smith will join young edge rushers Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo. Ojulari and Okoronkwo were inactive against the Cowboys with Uche and practice squad elevation Patrick Johnson rotating in behind Nolan Smith and Hunt, per Geoff Mosher of PhillyVoice. With Za’Darius Smith now joining the mix, there will be even fewer snaps to go around, and the Eagles may even consider parting ways with one of their depth edge rushers.

In a corresponding move to the Smith signing, the Eagles placed fullback Ben VanSumeren on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least four games.

Edge Rusher Za’Darius Smith Top Name On Market

August 27th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Now that all 32 NFL teams have thinned out their active roster to 53 players, placed players on injured lists, and started to settle their practice squads, teams have a much better idea of the strengths and holes on their rosters. Teams who weren’t sure if they needed to (or could afford to) go after a veteran free agent can now address such decisions.

One such free agent who may be at the top of the list is pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Smith has multiple teams checking in on him to contend for his signature. A free agent since his release from the Lions in March, Smith has reportedly been training as he waits for the right situation to come along.

At 32 years old, Smith has remained a high-quality defender throughout his 10 years of play. Stuck behind Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, and Matt Judon throughout his time in Baltimore, Smith didn’t have a chance to breakout until the final year of his rookie deal, when he led the team with 8.5 sacks.

That performance helped him land a four-year, $66MM contract in Green Bay, where he racked up 26.0 sacks in his first two years as a Packer. A back injury in 2021 kept Smith out for almost the entire season as he appeared in only 18 snaps of the season opener and 19 snaps of a Divisional Round playoff exit that year. The Packers released him for cap reasons, and Smith quickly moved on with a three-year, $42MM deal with the Vikings.

A year after Smith put up a 10.0-sack performance in Minnesota, the Browns sent two fifth-round picks to the Vikings in exchange for Smith, a sixth-, and a seventh-round pick. He finished with 5.5 sacks in 2023 for Cleveland, and after a litany of injuries to the Lions defense led Detroit to send the Browns a fifth- and sixth-round pick in exchange for Smith and a seventh-rounder, Smith ended his 2024 campaign with nine sacks — five in Cleveland and four in Detroit.

Now looking to enter his 11th season of NFL play, Smith is a top target for teams needing to improve their pass rush. Many believe the Lions are a likely team to land Smith’s signature, considering last year’s injury troubles and Smith’s eagerness to return. Detroit has kept in contact with the veteran, but with star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson coming back from injury, they feel fairly good about their situation.

There’s still a chance that he lands back in Detroit, but as Fowler points out, several teams are likely to reach out. The three-time Pro Bowler seems to be enjoying the luxury of choice, at the moment, but once the right deal comes around, a top free agent option should find his way to a roster before the start of the year.

Lions Still In Contact With Za’Darius Smith

August 6th, 2025 at 7:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Za’Darius Smith remains unsigned, but the veteran pass rusher has already made it clear that he hopes to continue his stay in Detroit. That sentiment appears to be mutual, although it doesn’t sound like any deal is imminent.

[RELATED: Za’Darius Smith Wants To Return To Lions]

While speaking with reporters, Lions general manager Brad Holmes stated that he’s maintained contact with the player’s camp and is hoping to extend the partnership.

“Za’Darius did a lot of good things last year for us and we said we’re going to keep in contact with his agent, but everything’s not just one-sided,” Holmes explained (via Will Burchfield of 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit). “Za’Darius has expectations, the team has expectations, so sometimes it takes a while for those things to get on the same page. Especially a guy that’s been in the league as long as he has, I’m not saying that he doesn’t want to be in training camp, but if he misses some time, there’s obviously still interest there and we’ve been keeping in touch.”

Holmes seems to be hinting that there may be some disagreement on compensation between the two sides. Smith is coming off a two-year, $23MM extension he inked with the Browns in 2024, a deal the Lions ducked out of before a $7MM bonus was due. Since the defensive end was release back in March, there have been numerous reports connecting the player to a new Detroit contract, with Smith noting that he wants to win a Super Bowl before calling it a career. At the same time, there haven’t been any reports of other suitors stepping up, so the veteran may be running out of leverage if he hopes to secure his desired payday.

Holmes also indicated that there isn’t any urgency to get the player signed any time soon. The Lions aren’t as desperate for pass-rush help as they were when the acquired Smith from the Browns in November. Both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are healthy atop the depth chart, and the team is still rostering two of their three 2024 positional snap leaders in Josh Paschal and Al-Quadin Muhammad.

Smith would initially be eyeing a limited role on the 2025 iteration of the Lions, but it sounds like the two sides could be fine with that arrangement. Smith was productive in his short stint in Detroit, compiling four sacks and 10 QB hits in eight games (he added another five sacks and seven QB hits in nine games with Cleveland). Those nine total sacks represented a step forward from his 5.5-sack showing in 2023, and he compiled 10 sacks during his comeback season with the Vikings in 2022.

Preseason injuries could increase Detroit’s urgency to add some depth at the position, and Paschal (who’s been dealing with an undisclosed injury of his own) has been mentioned as a cut candidate. However, considering the team’s on-paper depth, it may still be some time until a deal comes to fruition.

Bears Unlikely To Pursue Notable Edge Rush Addition?

July 4th, 2025 at 1:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Several veteran edge rushers remain unsigned at this point in the offseason. Many will land deals in the lead-up to training camp, but Ryan Poles and the Bears may not be among the top suitors on that front.

In a mailbag answer related to Za’Darius Smith, Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network writes the Bears will likely only be interested in the three-time Pro Bowler on a one-year pact. Smith and many other remaining free agents will of course take deals of that length in the near future, but finances will be a key factor in determining their 2025 landing spots.

Bair predicts Smith will again look for a deal carrying an eight-figure annual average value. That has been the case for every contract in his career since his rookie pact. If the 32-year-old’s asking price for 2025 checks in at or above $10MM per season, Bair notes it is unlikely the Bears will meet it for Smith or any other veteran pass rusher in a similar situation. Any moves made along the edge between now and Week 1 will thus come at a lower price.

Last offseason, Yannick Ngakoue was floated as a name to watch regarding another Bears agreement. He operated as a full-time starter for Chicago when healthy in 2023 and was in communication with the team last summer. In the end, Ngakoue split his time between the Ravens and Patriots last season and failed to make a notable impact.

To little surprise, then, the 30-year-old is among the pass rushers still unsigned in July. The same is true of Smith – whose stated preference is to re-sign with the Lions – along with the likes of Matt Judon, Jadeveon Clowney and Von Miller. With nearly $15MM in cap space, Chicago could afford a modest investment in one of those options ahead of the regular season.

For now, though, the team is set to move forward with an EDGE depth chart once again topped by Montez Sweat. The Bears added Dayo Odeyingbo on a three-year deal in free agency, and the former Colt will be counted on to provide his new team with starting-caliber production. 2024 fifth-rounder Austin Booker is a candidate to see an uptick in usage during his second NFL season. Room exists for an addition to that group, but at least for the time being a sizable deal for any of the top options on the market should not be considered likely.

Za’Darius Smith Wants To Return To Lions

June 11th, 2025 at 8:56am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Za’Darius Smith only played in Detroit for two months last season, but he quickly bought into Dan Campbell‘s culture and is seeking a return to the Lions in 2025.

“We both know where I want to be,” said Smith at the BET Awards on Monday (via USA Today’s Tyler Dragon). “Hopefully I can get back to Detroit because the coaching staff and everybody in the front office are great.”

The Lions were in desperate need of pass-rushing help at last year’s trade deadline after injuries to Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, so they sent a pair of Day 3 picks to Cleveland for Smith, who started the season with 5.0 sacks in nine games. The 10-year veteran posted 4.0 sacks across his nine games in Detroit and was released in March.

The two sides remained in touch through the first few waves of free agency signings, but by mid-April, Lions general manager Brad Holmes indicated that communication had ceased. The team re-signed veteran edge rushers Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad, but neither has been as productive in Smith in recent years. He has logged 9.0 sacks in each of the last two seasons, more than any Lion outside of Hutchinson.

Smith has been durable, too. He’s started at least 16 games in each of the last three seasons and five of the last six, and in 2024, he had a snap share over 50% in 14 of his 17 appearances. Accordingly, the 32-year-old believes his age is more of an asset than a liability.

“When I’m there I feel like a leader and like I can influence the young guys and do great things,” continued Smith before repeating, “Hopefully I can get back to where I want to be in Detroit.” 

Smith also made it clear that he is focused on winning a Super Bowl before he retires. Returning to the Lions could be a way to accomplish that, but money could be a barrier after a strong market for edge rushers this offseason. Smith might have to accept a team-friendly deal to land in his desired destination in 2025.

Aidan Hutchinson Completes Rehab; Lions Not Discussing Deal With Za’Darius Smith

April 17th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

As Aidan Hutchinson has progressed through rehab on his broken leg, it has long been expected he would be available for the Lions’ offseason work. His latest comments on the subject confirm that should be the case.

“I’m there. I’d say I’m good,” Hutchinson said of his recovery process when speaking to ESPN’s Marty Smith at The Masters (h/t Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated). “I’ve got my last evaluation when I get back… I’m gonna finish those evals and once I knock them out of the park, I’ll be on my way and done with rehab.”

Hutchinson went down in Week 6, and his absence was acutely felt on a Lions defense which dealt with several injuries over the course of the year. A return by the Super Bowl or even NFC title game was floated as a possibility, but in the end that became a moot point. The former No. 2 pick being available for offseason workouts well in advance of training camp would of course be welcomed by Detroit.

Having accrued three seasons in the NFL, Hutchinson is eligible for an extension for the first time in his career this offseason. The Lions have seen the top of the edge rush market reach $40MM per season this spring, although general manager Brad Holmes has already budgeted for a Hutchinson deal to check in at a similar rate. Health could represent a reason for an extension to fall short of Myles Garrett‘s new Browns pact, but with 28.5 sacks in 39 career games Hutchinson – 25 next year – has a case to command a monster deal in the near future.

Finding an effective complementary presence on the edge has proven to be challenging during the Michigan product’s time in the NFL. No outside additions were made during free agency, while Marcus Davenport was re-signed on a one-year deal after he was limited to a pair of games last season. His missed time, coupled with Hutchinson going down, led the Lions to trade for Za’Darius Smith as a stopgap option.

The three-time Pro Bowler was released last month, and he remains unsigned at this point. A new Lions agreement – at a lesser cost than the remaining year of his previous pact – could be on the table. Smith notched four sacks in eight Detroit games, giving him a total of nine for the 2024 campaign. In spite of that, Holmes’ pre-draft press conference noted no traction has been gained toward a deal for the 32-year-old.

“No, we haven’t had any discussions since [the decision to release him],” Holmes said of Smith (via Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper). “I think we kinda left it as his agent would let us know if something was going on or if anything’s changed.”

Many veterans will no doubt need to wait until after the draft to sign their next deals. Smith would not count against the compensatory pick formula with a deal before that time since he was released, but it does not appear an agreement sending him back to the Motor City or anywhere else is imminent.

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