Former Pro Bowl pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith has signed with a new team in free agency.
Smith is signing a 1-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. The news of Smith’s signing with Philly was reported on Friday.
Smith turns 33 on Monday and will be in his 11th NFL season. The former 4th-round pick began his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens, then played for the Packers, Vikings, Browns and Lions. The Browns had acquired Smith in an offseason trade with the Vikings prior to the 2023 season. The Browns then turned around and traded Smith in November.
Smith played in 8 games for the Lions last season and had 4 sacks and 12 tackles. In June, Smith indicated his preference was to return to the Lions, but a deal with them did not materialize. Smith waited this long before signing because he did not want to attend training camp. But by signing with Philly now, he has already missed one game as the team beat the Cowboys 24-20 on Thursday night.
Even though he is turning 33 and he missed camp, Smith is expected to be an impact player. He had 9 sacks and 55 hurries last season, and will be counted on to help disrupt opposing teams in passing downs.
