How former Lions EDGE Za'Darius Smith fared in debut with Eagles

The Detroit Lions kept most of their roster from 2024 intact heading into the 2025 season. 

However, one of the players who is not back for this season is edge-rusher Za'Darius Smith. Smith was added at the trade deadline last fall in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. In eight games with the Lions, Smith racked up 12 tackles, four sacks, and three tackles for loss. 

It seemed like the Lions had found an affordable veteran piece for their edge-rusher group. However, the team decided to cut Smith this offseason to avoid paying the $11 million he was owed in 2025. 

It was thought for a while that the Lions would bring the veteran back into the fold on a cheaper deal. However, that never happened, and general manager Brad Holmes even said the team "couldn't afford" to bring Smith back. 

Smith ending up remaining unsigned all summer and through the preseason, surprisingly. Then. after the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, they decided to bring in the veteran to bolster the pass-rush. 

Smith was active for the Eagles' Week 2 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the veteran ended up playing a significant role with his new team. 

Against the Chiefs, Smith collected four tackles, 0.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit. No edge-rusher on the team had more tackles than Smith, so it's likely the veteran has earned the right to keep seeing the field. 

It's just one game, but you have to wonder if the Lions regret not bringing Smith back into the fold. In the Lions' opener against the Green Bay Packers, the team was held without a sack. 

Things got better in Week 2, and Marcus Davenport, who is taking over Smith's former role, actually got a sack. However, you can never have too many edge-rushers, and Smith was already familiar with the system and productive in it. 

Also. Holmes' money excuse doesn't seem to add up. Per Over The Cap, the Lions currently have around $31 million in cap space, which would have been more than enough to accommodate Smith. The veteran's deal with the Eagles will have a maximum worth of just over $8 million. 

Smith is not an elite edge-rusher at this point, but he's still a productive player. In total, the veteran racked up 35 tackles, nine sacks, and nine tackles for loss last season between the Lions and Browns. Now, the Eagles have another experienced veteran to rotate in on their elite defense.