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Lions Make Surprising Move With Za'Darius Smith Before Free Agency

Ryan Phillips

Za'Darius Smith had nine sacks in a 2024 season split between the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.
Za'Darius Smith had nine sacks in a 2024 season split between the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Detroit Lions made a surprising move on Sunday, cutting loose a productive pass rusher just before free agency begins.

Detroit plans to release defensive end Za'Darius Smith, who had nine sacks in 2024 and has long had a solid track record of getting to the quarterback.

The Lions acquired Smith and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick from the Cleveland Browns last November in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a sixth-rounder in 2026. In eight regular season games he had 12 tackles and four sacks.

Smith was brought in to help bolster the team's pass rush after star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury. The 32-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler but he won't get a chance to show what he can do while playing with Hutchinson.

The move will save the Lions $5.7 million in cap space as free agency opens on Wednesday. He has previously played for the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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