Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-4, 270 lbs |
| Birthplace: Montgomery, AL |
| Age: 34 |
| School: Kentucky |
| Experience: 11 |
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1:47Falcons Replacing Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
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1:24National Tight Ends Day: Odds to Have Most Rec Yards
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1:17Brock Purdy's Fantasy Value Amid 49ers' Injuries
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63:03Russell Wilson and Kyle Long react to NFL Week 6: Jalen Hurts news, Caleb Williams' return & more | Set, Hut!
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8:32Caleb Williams is BACK and looks better than ever | Set, Hut!
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2:25NFL Week 7 Picks: TNF Patriots at Bears
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2:18NFL Week 7 Picks: 49ers at Falcons
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2:00Mike Evans & Terry McLaurin Leave Week 6 With Injuries
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1:22
49ers WR Mike Evans Leaves Game With Achilles Injury
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1:45Top Waiver Wire Targets Entering Week 7
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8:34Davante Adams Out 6-10 Weeks With Ruptured Hamstring
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60:59Russell Wilson and Kyle Long react to NFL Week 5: Bills-Rams goes insane, 49ers best in the league? | Set, Hut!
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60:55Russell Wilson & Kyle Long react to Raiders' 3-0 start, Cowboys debacle, Justin Herbert I Set, Hut!
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1:57How Coaches Handle Benching High-Earning NIL QBs
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1:59Caleb Williams Shines for Bears in Week 6
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1:14Baker Mayfield Optimistic to Play in Week 7
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2026 Defensive
| STATS |
CMB
Total Tackles
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SCK
Sacks
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FUM
Forced Fumbles
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INT
Interceptions
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TD
Interceptions Returned For Touchdown
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top Za'Darius Smith News
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Expected to play Sunday
Smith (neck) is questionable but expected to play against the 49ers on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Smith earned the questionable tag for Week 7 after an LP-LP-FP practice log, but it looks like the veteran pass rusher will return from a one-game absence due to a neck injury. His would return would give the Falcons a boost at the edge rusher position, especially if Samson Ebukam (hamstring) is not cleared to play.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Tagged as questionable after full practice
Smith (neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith opened the week with back-to-back limited practices before logging a full session Friday. He's working through a neck injury that forced him to be sidelined for Week 6 against the Bears, and his status for Sunday's contest may not be officially known until the Falcons announce their list of inactive players about 90 minutes before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Smith's return would bolster the Falcons' depth at the edge rusher position behind Samson Ebukam (hamstring) and Cameron Thomas.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Ready for Sunday
Smith (neck) is active for Sunday's game against the Bears.
Smith was limited in Friday's practice with a neck injury after clearing concussion protocol Thursday. The outside linebacker has navigated the discomfort in time for Sunday's contest and is all set to suit up on the edge against the Bears.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Draws questionable tag for Week 6
Smith (neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith cleared concussion protocol Thursday, but his practice reps have been limited by a neck issue. The veteran pass rusher will continue to get treatment over the weekend, but if he's not cleared to play Sunday, then Jared Ivey would be the lone rotational option behind starters Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Clears concussion protocol
Smith (neck) was a limited participant at practice Thursday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith's status on Atlanta's official injury report changed from "concussion/neck" to just "neck" Thursday, signaling he has cleared league concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's game versus the Bears. With that said, his availability for Week 6 is still up in the air due to the neck issue, and he may have to log a full practice Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into the weekend.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Won't play against Baltimore
Smith (concussion/neck) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith entered the league's concussion protocol during the Falcons' Week 4 win over the Saints on Monday. He drew the questionable tag after practicing in a limited capacity Friday, but it looks like he won't clear protocol before Sunday's game. Samson Ebukam (hamstring) is also listed as questionable, so Jared Ivey, Bralen Trice and Cameron Thomas are all in line for more defensive snaps against Baltimore. Smith's next chance to play is Week 6 against the Bears on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Questionable with concussion
Smith (concussion/neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith was a limited participant in Friday's practice as he continues to deal with a concussion he suffered in the Falcons' win over the Saints on Monday. The linebacker still needs to be cleared for full contact by an independent neurologist. If the 34-year-old still has concussion symptoms Saturday, he will not be able to suit up for Sunday's game.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Ruled out with concussion
Smith (concussion) has been ruled out for the remainder of Monday night's game against the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith exited the contest in the first quarter after being down on the field for several minutes. An independent neurologist ruled that the outside linebacker had sustained a concussion, and he will not be allowed to return to the game. Smith will now enter the league's five-step protocol to return to full contact play.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Being checked for concussion
Smith (neck) is being evaluated for a possible question and is questionable to return to Monday's game against the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith took a knee to the helmet early in the first quarter and was down on the field for several minutes, but the veteran pass rusher was able to jog off the field and into the blue medical tent. Cameron Thomas and Yasir Abdullah should both see more defensive snaps for as long as Smith is on the sidelines being evaluated by medical staff.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Cleared to play Week 1
Smith (shoulder) is active for Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Smith was working through a shoulder issue this past week and drew the questionable tag for Week 1, but he was trending in the right direction after fully participating in Friday's practice. The veteran edge rusher has been given the green light to play Sunday, and he should see a healthy workload given the absences of both Jalon Walker (knee) and James Pearce (suspension).
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Looks likely to play Sunday
Smith (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Unless he experiences a setback leading up to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, Smith looks set to play through the shoulder issue that kept him from practicing Thursday and limited his participation Wednesday. With Jalon Walker (knee) out for the season and James Pearce suspended for the first eight games of the campaign, the Falcons will be counting on the 34-year-old Smith to serve as a key pass rusher.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Questionable for Week 1
Smith (shoulder) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith is dealing with a shoulder injury but was able to practice in full Friday, and he has a chance of suiting up in Week 1. However, if Smith can't play, the Falcons will need to lean on depth during Sunday's contest, and Cameron Thomas and Jared Ivey would likely see an increased snap share opposite Samson Ebukam.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Signs one-year deal with Falcons
The Falcons signed Smith to a one-year contract Tuesday, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.
With injuries and legal problems thinning out their group of edge rushers, the Falcons have bolstered the position group with the addition of Smith, who will turn 34 shortly before Week 1. He announced his retirement last October after playing five games for Philadelphia, just one year removed from a 9.0-sack season in 2024. Smith may not solve Atlanta's pass-rush problems, but he probably represents an upgrade over some of the other edge rushers that would be taking the snaps if he weren't around.
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Za'Darius Smith: Gets look from Atlanta
The Falcons hosted Smith for a tryout Monday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Smith worked out with the Browns on Thursday, and it looked like there was momentum building toward the veteran pass rusher reuniting with the team he played for in 2023 and for part of 2024. However, it looks like the Falcons have entered the mix, as Atlanta will be without Jalon Walker for the season due to a torn ACL and James Pearce for eight games due to a suspension. Smith announced his retirement from the NFL in October but elected to resume his career in the offseason.
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