Falcons Sign Former 3-Time Pro Bowler to Bolster Edge Depth

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA - The Atlanta Falcons are headed for Indianapolis this afternoon for a pair of joint practices with the Colts on Wednesday and Thursday before Saturday's preseason game.

However, they had a little business to take care of first.

The Falcons are signing edge rusher Za'Darius Smith to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports. Smith spent part of last season with the Philadelphia Eagles before heavily weighing retirement this year. The 33-year-old from Montgomery, Ala. had retired, but it didn't sit well with him this offseason.

He worked out for the Falcons yesterday and will be joining the Falcons' 90-man squad today.

Jordan Schultz had the details behind the contract, and it appears the Falcons made Smith a priority and aren't just looking at him as a novelty out of retirement.

"The Falcons are giving Za’Darius Smith a 1-year, $6M deal with incentives upside to $8M, per sources," Schultz reported on X.

Smith began his career as a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens. He was a part-time starter during his four years in Baltimore and racked up 18.5 sacks. He signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent in 2019, and his career took off.

He was a Pro Bowl selection in two of his three seasons with the Packers, including a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020. His third season was over before it ever got started. Smith was injured and only played one game in 2021.

Smith moved to the Vikings in 2022 and made his third Pro Bowl after getting 10 sacks and finishing ninth in the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award. He hooked up with Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland in 2023 and had 5.5 sacks playing opposite Myles Garrett. He began 2024 with Cleveland and finished the year with the Detroit Lions adding another 9 sacks to his tally.

He began last year with the Eagles and only appeared in five games before abruptly retiring in October.

The Falcons began the summer with a deep, talented edge room that had a good mix of youth and experience. Then Jalon Walker tore his ACL, and James Pearce Jr. received the news that he'd be suspended for the first eight games of the season.

Now the Falcons' edge room is an interesting mix of castoffs looking for redemption. Samson Ebukam is 31 and suffered a torn Achilles tendon in 2024 and wasn't 100% last year. He's looking to prove he's the same guy pre-injury that he was with the Colts.

Azeez Ojulari got off to a promising start to his career with the New York Giants, but he ran into hamstring problems last season in Philadelphia and only appeared in three games.

Bralen Trice was a third-round pick of the Falcons in 2024. He tore his ACL in the first preseason game that year and hasn't taken a snap in an NFL game.

Add Smith to the mix, and there's plenty of talent, but also plenty of questions.

Pearce is scheduled to return on Sunday, November 8th, when the Falcons take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain. Walker will return next season if his recovery is on schedule.

Until then, it's a lot of players on one-year deals looking for redemption.

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