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Lions' latest roster move is further proof the Packers were right all along about former All-Pro player and why they moved on

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Mar 9, 2025 6:14 PM ET

Making correct decisions in free agency goes well beyond the play on the field. It's also about culture and locker room fit. When the Green Bay Packers signed Za'Darius and Preston Smith back in 2019, the first season was a resounding success. Eventually, though, things went South with Za'Darius.

Six years later, on Sunday, he was released from the Detroit Lions. To be fair, it was much more of a salary cap issue than a locker room matter, but it's the third team moving on from Smith since the Packers released him in 2022.

And Za'Darius has followed an intriguing trend. After he was cut by the Packers (and there were significant cap implications at that point for Green Bay too), he immediately signed with the Minnesota Vikings to face Green Bay twice a year. When he was acquired by the Detroit Lions ahead of the trade deadline last year, playing the Packers and, guess what, the Vikings twice a year was something meaningful for him.

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Why the Packers made the final decision to cut him

Za'Darius Smith played three years in Green Bay, but he missed most of his final season with the Packers because of a back injury. He is clearly an excellent player, but his relationship with the organization and even with other players became unsustainable.

All these years later, Smith still brings the same positives. He had 10 sacks for the Vikings in 2022 and nine in 2024 combining his stints with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.

It was a valid bet by the Lions. Without Aidan Hutchinson, they needed a pass rusher trying to make a run in the NFC. Detroit gave up a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder in exchange for Smith and a 2026 seventh-rounder.

Now, Za'Darius is 32, will be 33 by September, and goes to the open market once again. He can still be a situational edge rusher for a team in need, and his alignment versatility is still intriguing.

But he could have built a special career in Green Bay. In 2022, the Packers had to make a decision to keep Za'Darius or Preston, since there was no money to keep both. Za'Darius was the more productive player, and still is at this point, but Preston stayed around for longer because of his positive leadership.

Ultimately, Za’Darius became a journeyman—and several teams have been willing to part ways with him for a reason or another. Good player, but in the NFL there is much more for teams to think about.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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