Former Detroit Lions edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is coming out of retirement to play for the Atlanta Falcons. Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported that the Falcons have signed the 11-year veteran, who spent the end of the 2024 season with the Lions.
Detroit traded for Smith to close out the 2024 season. Smith played well for the team and recorded four sacks in his final eight games. However, the Lions lost their first playoff game to the Washington Commanders, and the team let Smith walk in free agency afterward.
Smith will be set to face the Lions for the first time since playing for them in Week 13 of the 2026 season.
Former Detroit Lions Edge Rusher Za’Darius Smith Signs With Atlanta Falcons
GettyZa’Darius Smith
Smith was a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, selected by the Baltimore Ravens. He spent the first four seasons of his NFL career in an NFL rotation, earning his role. Smith had 10 sacks in his first three seasons.
Then, he exploded with 8.5 sacks in his contract year. The Ravens could no longer keep him on the roster due to the money he was set to get. Detroit’s rival, the Green Bay Packers, gave Smith a big contract, worth $66M over four years in 2019. Smith lived up to it, though.
He posted 26 sacks in his first two years with the Packers. He made two Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro in that time. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury had him out after one game in his third season, and Green Bay moved on after that.
Smith came back with the rival Minnesota Vikings and proved he could still play. He posted 10 sacks and made the Pro Bowl again.
The Vikings let him walk, and he signed with the Cleveland Browns. He only had 5.5 sacks in his first year with the team. Smith had five sacks in nine games with Cleveland in his second year when he was traded, along with a seventh-round pick to the Lions for a fifth- and sixth-round pick.
After the run into the playoffs with Detroit, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he retired after just five weeks on the team and had just 1.5 sacks. Smith has not suited up since October, but he is out of retirement and ready to rush the passer.
Lions No Longer Need Za’Darius Smith
Smith was be signed to play the rush-end role. The Falcons need him because they lost their two first-round picks from the 2025 NFL Draft. Jalon Walker is out for the year due to injury, while James Pearce will be suspended.
When Detroit was thin at edge rusher, they needed Smith, but they made a strong effort to improve the depth. Free agent addition D.J. Wonnum and second-round draft pick Derrick Moore are set to fill the role that Smith would have played. Both are young, and Wonnum was more productive than Smith last year.
Detroit is also getting strong training camp performances from Tyler Lacy and Ahmed Hassanein. Those two have slightly different roles, but they complete the edge-rusher depth nonetheless.
Former Lions Trade Acquisition Ends Retirement to Join NFC Foe