The Pittsburgh Steelers have already acquired Mike Williams through a deal with the New York Jets. The Steelers now follow up the Williams deal with another acquisition by landing edge rusher Preston Smith in a deal with the Green Bay Packers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“Sources: The #Steelers aren’t done. They are trading for #Packers veteran pass-rusher Preston Smith. One of the NFL’s best defenses gets better.”
The Steelers now add more talent to an already-loaded defense. Rapoport then mentioned that the Packers would get a seventh-round pick in return.
Smith began his NFL career with the Washington Commanders for four seasons before spending the previous six with the Packers. He had a career-high 12 sacks in 2019 and had eight or more in each of the past three seasons.
In 2024, Smith has just 2.5 sacks through nine games, although the Steelers are likely going to be excited to add a veteran presence to the defensive front that includes TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, and others.
Smith is a former second-round pick, and the best part for the Steelers is he has two years left on his deal, as Mike Tannenbaum reported. In February, the Packers restructured Smith's deal to give the franchise more financial flexibility.
On the flip side, the Packers moving on from Smith is a bit of a surprise given their 6-3 record. However, perhaps the franchise wants to go with younger players up front.
All in all, the Steelers get a solid veteran presence for cheap as they try and make a run to the playoffs. The NFL trade deadline ends at 4 PM Eastern, but the Steelers have acquired big players on both sides of the ball.
The Steelers are coming off a bye, so Smith will only have a few days to get acclimated before the Week 10 showdown against the Washington Commanders on the road.
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