Getty Outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith #55 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after a sack during the 1st quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ersat Lambeau Field on January 22, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Za’Darius Smith is heading home after his breakup with the Green Bay Packers.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers’ former All-Pro pass rusher is signing a four-year, $35 million contract that holds a maximum value of $50 million with the Baltimore Ravens, the team that originally drafted him back in 2015.
Former Packers’ pass rusher Za’Darius Smith is signing a four-year, $35 million deal that has a max value of $50 million with the Baltimore Ravens, per source.
Smith was game-wrecking defensive addition for the Packers when they signed him in 2019 free agency, racking up 29 sacks and 144 quarterback pressures over his first two seasons and getting named to back-to-back Pro Bowl rosters. He was plagued with a back injury in 2021, though, that forced him to undergo early-season back surgery and miss all but the season opener of the regular season. While Smith did return for the Packers’ first playoff game and record his first sack in more than a year against the San Francisco 49ers, it ultimately proved fruitless.
The Packers officially released the 29-year-old outside linebacker from their active roster on March 14 to create about $15.3 million in cap space — which came as no surprise to anyone monitoring their cap situation. They also signed their other veteran pass rusher, Preston Smith, to a four-year contract extension that lowered his cap hit and carried a greater value than Smith’s new deal with the Ravens.
Now, the Packers will move forward with Preston Smith and Rashan Gary as their starting outside linebackers, while Smith gets to move back to his original team with a chance to help them contend for a championship and to prove he can still be a premium edge rusher in the league despite his injury troubles in 2021.
Smith’s signing will not count toward the Packers’ compensatory pick formula for 2023, as he entered free agency after being released instead of having his contract expire.
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