The Atlanta Falcons have successfully pried a three-time Pro Bowler away from retirement.
On Tuesday, insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is signing a 1-year contract with the Falcons.
Free agent edge Za’Darius Smith is signing a 1-year deal with the #Falcons, per agent @ErikBurkhardt. pic.twitter.com/R4w9DZnhGB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2026
Smith last saw action for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2025 NFL season, playing in only five games (two starts) and recording 1.5 sacks before announcing his midseason retirement from football.
That retirement proved short-lived, as Smith returns to the game to play for the Falcons under a new head coach who is a familiar face to the veteran pass rusher.
The Falcons are now coached by Kevin Stefanski, who also mentored the Cleveland Browns during Smith’s tenure with the AFC North franchise.
Atlanta needed some bodies to shore up their pass-rush unit amid issues in the group, with Jalon Walker suffering an ACL tear in training camp and James Pearce Jr. getting slapped with an eight-game suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Walker and Pearce combined for 16 of the Falcons’ season total of 57 sacks (second-most in the league) in 2025.
The 33-year-old Smith has 70.5 career sacks to his name, along with 176 quarterback hits in 145 games.
