Za’Darius Smith isn’t technically a free agent, but for all intents and purposes, the Lions defensive end is hitting the market. Acquired in a midseason trade with the Cleveland Browns to help fill some serious injury-related holes on Detroit’s depth chart, Smith chipped in four sacks, three TFLs and one pass defended in eight games. His sack total led the team after Aidan Hutchinson’s injury.
Smith made it clear he wants to run it back with Detroit. The 32-year-old stated his desire on social media.
On his Instagram page, Smith captioned a series of pictures of himself and his family in Detroit with this:
“2024 didn’t go as planned at all; we fell short of the outcome we had planned for! 2025 gives us another opportunity to adjust and go for that championship! I enjoyed every moment with my boys, and even though some faces have changed for the new season, I hope to be a part of this great organization for the future!”
While he is under contract through 2025, it’s quite unlikely that the Lions will keep that contract–which Smith signed with the Browns–intact. From November’s article exploring Detroit’s contract options with Smith,
Smith has a base salary of a very affordable $1.2 million for the 2025 season and it’s not guaranteed. However, there is a $2 million bonus due on the third day of the 2025 NFL calendar. There is also a per-game bonus of $510,000 baked into the contract, as well as four void years at the end of Smith’s contract.
The Lions can keep the contract as-is, but that seems unlikely given the higher cap hits that assuming the void years and bonus structure creates: $5.4 million in 2025 and $5.6 million in 2026.
The new NFL league year begins on March 12th. The Lions could agree to a reworked deal with Smith before that time, too.
If the price is right, it certainly makes sense for the Lions to bring Smith back as the No. 3 or No. 4 pass rush option instead of the alpha dog he was forced to play in Detroit in 2024.
