Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lambeau Field on October 03, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Jaylon Smith experiment is already over for the Green Bay Packers.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers are releasing the former Dallas Cowboys veteran inside linebacker after Smith struggled to make an impact with their defense over the past several weeks. The team later confirmed the move on November 2’s transaction wire.
Packers releasing LB Jaylon Smith, per source.
The Packers signed Smith to a veteran-minimum contract on October 7 following his release from the Cowboys and, after giving him a week to get acclimated with their defense, worked him into the rotation during Week 6’s win over the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, Smith seemed to be more of a liability for their defense as the second linebacker alongside De’Vondre Campbell and did not show much improvement in his second game against Washington in Week 7.
The Packers signaled Smith’s time could be coming to an end during last week’s Thursday Night Football matchup with the Arizona Cardinals when they ruled him inactive prior to kickoff despite the fact that he has practiced all week and not been included in the injury report. Smith will leave Green Bay after recording just one tackle and two total pressures in his two games.
Unless the Packers add another coverage linebacker before the trade deadline, it is expected that Krys Barnes will have a more prominent role for the defense moving forward. Barnes was a 10-game starter for their defense in 2020 as an undrafted rookie but has taken on a rotational role behind Campbell in his second year. The Packers also have Oren Burks, Ty Summer and rookie Isaiah McDuffie to lean on at the inside linebacker spot.
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Packers’ Experiment With Smith Cost Them Little
Smith looked like he could be a steal of a signing when the Packers added him to their inside linebacker group for pennies on the dollar last month. The 26-year-old was coming off a 2020 season in which he recorded the third-most tackles (154) in the league behind only Avery Williamson and Zach Cunningham and had never missed a game in four consecutive years. Even as a secondary option to Campbell, the Packers were optimistic his past production and availability would offer them a reliable depth option for the middle of their defense.
Instead, Smith is now looking for a new job for the second time in the past month with another smudge on his resume. He received a combined grade of 34.8 from Pro Football Focus for his two performances with the Packers, making some mistakes in coverage that were … uhh … disappointing, to say the least.
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Fortunately, the Packers’ experiment with Smith won’t come at a great cost to them. Smith was only due to receive the league minimum of $990,000 from the Packers for the rest of the season since the Cowboys were still responsible for paying him his fully guaranteed $7.2 million salary in 2021. Smith’s final payout from the Packers will also be prorated for the four game weeks he was actually on their roster.