Three-time Pro Bowl defender names the team he wants to sign with

Three-time Pro Bowl defender Za’Darius Smith is still on the free agent market, but he knows where he would like to land if it were up to him.

Smith wants to return to the Detroit Lions after finishing the 2024 season there. He had praise for the coaching staff and players, and views it as a place where he can contend for a Super Bowl to cap off his career.

“We both know where I want to be,” Smith told Tyler Dragon of USA Today at the 2025 BET Awards. “Hopefully I can get back to Detroit because the coaching staff and everybody in the front office are great. When I’m there I feel like a leader and like I can influence the young guys and do great things. Hopefully I can get back to where I want to be in Detroit.”

The Lions could benefit from some edge rushing help, but have yet to work anything out with Smith. The team traded for him to help fill the void after Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending injury, but has yet to prioritize the position this offseason with Hutchinson on his way back for 2025. However, having Smith as an insurance policy may not be a bad idea.

The 32-year-old Smith had four sacks in eight games for Detroit last season after the trade. He has 69 career sacks in 10 NFL seasons, and as he indicated, would be a quality rotation option and leadership piece for the Lions if they found a place for him.