Za'Darius Smith Wants to Be Released, But Vikings Aren't Budging Yet
Vikings Pro Bowl pass rusher Za'Darius Smith has informed the team he wants to be released, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport, but Minnesota "has no plans to do that."
Well then. That creates an interesting situation.
On Thursday afternoon, Smith tweeted what looks like a goodbye post after one season with the Vikings.
"I just want to say “Thank you!” to Skol Nation for an amazing season & experience!" Smith wrote. "Thank you to all of my Teammates, Coaches & the entire Minnesota Vikings Organization!"
The Vikings, meanwhile, don't seem to have any plans to release Smith at this moment. The former Raven and Packer is under contract for two more years after signing a three-year, $42 million contract last offseason. His $15.5 million cap hit in 2023 is very affordable, considering his status as one of the league's most productive edge rushers when healthy.
In his first year with the Vikings, Smith finished fourth in the league with 78 pressures in the regular season. He played in 16 games — sitting only in the meaningless regular season finale — and finished with 10 sacks, 15 total TFL, 5 passes defended, and a forced fumble. Smith got off to a red-hot start to the season with 9.5 sacks and 55 pressures in the Vikings' first nine games, but was slowed a bit by a knee injury he picked up in Buffalo in that ninth game. He had only half a sack the rest of the way, but he remained impactful, recording five or more pressures three times down the stretch.
If the Vikings were to release Smith, They would free up over $12 million in cap space with only $3.3 million in dead money. But that wouldn't make them better in 2023. Smith is a dynamic, versatile pass rusher who is seemingly a great fit for a Brian Flores-coached defense.
If Smith is adamant about wanting out of Minnesota, the Vikings could explore a trade and try to get some compensation back for him without the situation getting messy. Then again, teams lose some leverage when a player has publicly asked to be released.
This will be a fascinating story to follow moving forward.
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