Commanders could reunite with former pass-rusher with 70 sacks on his resume

Preston Smith's career thus far

A second-round pick in 2015, Smith spent the first four years of his career in Washington. He never truly lived up to his draft billing, although he didn’t miss a start between 2016 and 2018. His best statistical season with the franchise may have come in a limited role during his rookie campaign, when he compiled eight sacks and three forced fumbles. Over the next three years, Smith added another 16.5 sacks to his resume.

He joined the Packers ahead of the 2019 season and had his most productive year, finishing with 12 sacks and 23 QB hits. He ended up serving as a full-time starter for Green Bay through the 2023 season, with the pass-rusher tallying 25.5 sacks between 2021 and 2023.

He started nine games for the Packers in 2024 before getting dealt midseason to the Steelers, where he served in a part-time role. He finished last season with 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks for a total of 443 career tackles and 70.5 career sacks. He was released by Pittsburgh back in February and has spent the last seven months unsigned.

Commanders need help at DE

He could find his next opportunity where his career started. The Commanders need some help at defensive end after Deatrich Wise suffered a season-ending quad injury. Newcomers Jacob Martin and Von Miller will be asked to pick up some of the slack alongside Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, but Smith would provide some additional veteran depth to the grouping.

Smith wasn’t the only veteran defender to audition for the Commanders on Tuesday. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson also visited the team. Jefferson most recently split the 2024 campaign between the Browns and Bills, where he collected a pair of sacks.