Detroit Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) claps his hands together after defeating the Green Bay Packers Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With Distractions Gone, Za'Darius Smith Can Return to Lions Sooner

Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI
By John Maakaron | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 5:46 PM ET

Former Detroit Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith is finding out romantic relationships can be quite difficult to sustain.

After a relationship with hip-hop artist Kash Doll became public, news has now spread their relationship has recently come to an end.

Smith's ex posted publicly on social media, "At this point of my life i just just need to be single .. Zadarius a great guy but we can't see eye to eye and with all due respect we decided to part ways. I'm giving the internet a break so I'm done with yall too right now."

The veteran defensive end has yet to sign with a team and remains a free agent. Lions general manager Brad Holmes expressed in a recent radio interview on 97.1 The Ticket both sides still remain in contact, but sometimes contracts can take a while to be agreed upon.

Smith and his former girlfriend enjoyed summer travels and were photographed often. The former couple took a memorable trip to Ghana that was described as a "life changing experience" by the 32-year-old.

The trip was inspired by his connection to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and his Natural Knowledge Wisdom Advancement Foundation.

"Man, this visit is one of many to come! I loved everything about Ghana and the purpose of this trip! I look forward to learning more in the years to come!!,” Smith shared on social media.

Studs and Duds: Detroit Lions Rookie Wideouts Shine, Kyle Allen Ignites Offense

At this point of my life i just need to be single.. Zadarius a great guy but we can’t see eye to eye and with all due respect we decided to part ways ❤️

I’m giving the internet a break also so I’m done with yall too right now
— KEISHA (@kashdoll) August 10, 2025

With most distractions out of the way, Smith is now even more free to sign with the Lions, who are still in need of more depth behind the starting defensive ends.

Holmes expressed one of the challenges he is now seeing is that young players on the roster are going to have a much more difficult time making the 53-man roster.

"As the roster has improved, we first started seeing those challenges in the draft, really, on the approach that we took," Holmes said this week. "It's getting harder and harder for a lot of the young guys, just because when you add more veterans, you have better players that are going into their second and third year.

"You want to really give these guys time to develop and all that," Holmes continued. "But sometimes you just might not be able to, because me and Dan are, 'The best man's gonna play, the best man's gonna make the team.' That's one area that's gotten harder. There's a lot of different avenues I can take, but that's probably the biggest challenge that I'm seeing."

This article first appeared on Detroit Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: