Za'Darius Smith

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• Vikings' Za'Darius Smith: Headed to Minnesota

  03/22/2022 •

  Smith signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Vikings on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Smith was released by the Packers in mid-March and appeared to have quickly signed a new contract to reunite with the Ravens. However, for an undisclosed reason that deal fell through, so the former All-Pro pass rusher returned to the open market where he was courted by his former team's division rival. Smith missed nearly all of 2021 while recovering from back surgery, but he did return for Green Bay's final playoff game and even recorded a sack during the loss to San Francisco. Before the injury-plagued 2021 campaign, he recorded back-to-back double-digit sack seasons with the Packers and figures to provide a powerful one-two punch with Danielle Hunter (pectoral) during the 2022 campaign.

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• Za'Darius Smith: Not signing with Ravens

  03/17/2022 •

  Smith no longer plans to sign with the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Smith and the Ravens were reported Wednesday to have reached a four-year agreement, shortly before the start of the new league year, but something apparently held the deal up and may now prevent it from happening at all. Baltimore is known for being unusually strict about medical records, and Smith -- a former Raven -- did miss nearly all of 2021 while recovering from back surgery. However, he made it back for Green Bay's final playoff game and even recorded a sack in the team's memorable loss to San Francisco.

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• Ravens' Za'Darius Smith: Back for second stint in Baltimore

  03/16/2022 •

  Smith agreed Wednesday with the Ravens on a four-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The contract reportedly is for $35 million, with another $15 million available in incentives. Smith thus returns to the team that drafted him in the fourth round back in 2015, reaching an agreement with the Ravens just two days after the Packers released him. A back injury (and subsequent surgery) limited Smith to one regular-season game and one playoff game in 2021, but prior to that, he had 13.5 and 12.5 sacks in his first two seasons with the Packers. He'll turn 30 years old in September and is locked in as a starting outside linebacker for Baltimore.

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• Za'Darius Smith: Cut loose by Green Bay

  03/14/2022 •

  The Packers released Smith on Monday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports. The move has been rumored for the past couple months, with Smith previously scheduled for a non-guaranteed $14.5 million base salary in 2022, the final year of the four-year, $66 million contract he signed in March 2019. The Packers signed fellow edge rusher Preston Smith right around the same time, then drafted Rashan Gary in the first round a month and a half later. They'll now move forward with Gary and Preston Smith as their top pass rushers, having signed the latter to a four-year contract extension shortly before Za'Darius was released. The 29-year-old free agent shouldn't have much trouble drumming up interest, considering he had 13.5 sacks in 2019 and 12.5 in 2020 before a back injury limited him to one game in 2021.

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• Packers' Za'Darius Smith: Expected to play

  01/21/2022 •

  The Packers are expected to activate Smith (back) from injured reserve for Saturday's game against the 49ers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. The Packers may get two of their best players back from lengthy absences this week, with CB Jaire Alexander (shoulder) listed as questionable on the final injury report. Alexander last played Week 4 and Smith in Week 1, with the pass rusher undergoing back surgery in late September. It's unclear what kind of workload Smith is expected to handle in his first game back, assuming he is in fact activated from IR.

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