Browns Work Out DE Za’Darius Smith

A familiar team is kicking the tires here. The Browns worked out Smith today, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Smith played for Cleveland from 2023-24. before a midseason trade to Detroit ended that tenure.

The Browns deployed Smith as their Myles Garrett sidekick during the former’s time in northeast Ohio. Smith impressed in Year 1 with Cleveland, earning a two-year, $23MM deal ahead of the 2024 season. After the Lions designated Smith a trade rental by releasing him in 2025, he ended up with the Eagles on a one-year, $4.25MM deal just before last season. Weeks later, however, Smith reconsidered his Philly status and left the team in mid-October. He spent several months off the radar before being removed from the NFC East team’s reserve/retired list.

Smith, 34 in September, has three double-digit sack seasons and three Pro Bowls on his resume. The former Ravens, Packers, Vikings and Browns starter managed two Eagles starts before his sudden retirement last season. For his career, the 11-year veteran has 98 starts and 70.5 sacks. He is on the Browns’ radar two months after they traded Garrett to the Rams for a monster haul.

Jared Verse now headlines the Browns’ pass rush, and Alex Wright remains tied to a three-year, $33MM deal agreed to in November. The Browns did not draft a defensive end this year nor did they make any noteworthy signings at the position. Smith would be positioned to supply depth behind Verse and Wright this year, though he is obviously far from a safe bet considering how his five-week Philly tenure unfolded.

While the Browns’ coaching staff is new, GM Andrew Berry acquired Smith from the Vikings in 2023. After a 5.5-sack season in the Browns’ Garrett-fronted defense that year, he commanded a $12MM guarantee at signing in 2024. Smith went on to produce nine sacks in a season split between Cleveland and Detroit. His double-digit sack seasons came in Green Bay (2019, 2020) and Minnesota (2022).

Smith boosted a playoff-bound Browns team in 2023; post-Garrett and amid a Deshaun Watson–Shedeur Sanders quarterback competition, the Browns are in a much different place at this point. Smith being unretired places him in the mix with other veteran edge rushers, as Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Kyle Van Noy, Derek Barnett and Haason Reddick are unsigned. The Chiefs took Emmanuel Ogbah off the market via a reunion earlier this week.