Za'Darius Smith Articles - Page 2

The Detroit Lions are playing like one of the NFL’s best teams right now. Detroit is 6-1 heading into a crucial Week 9 matchup against Green Bay. This game will have huge implications for the NFC North as both teams are close to the top of the division standings. One Lions receiver is particularly excited […]

The Detroit Lions have had a gaping hole on their defensive line in the wake of Aidan Hutchinson suffering a fractured tibia and fibula, which is expected to end his season. As a result, the Lions have been active on the trade market looking for a defensive lineman, and that has led them to the […]

The Detroit Lions are without the services of pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the remainder of the season after he suffered a fractured left tibia and fibula; his absence leaves a significant absence in the Lions’ defense. But with the NFL Trade Deadline right around the corner, the Lions have been rumored to be in […]

Despite a significant setback in their efforts to acquire wide receiver Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain undeterred in their pursuit to strengthen their receiving corps before the NFL trade deadline. The initial plan to bring Kirk to Pittsburgh was thwarted when the receiver suffered a broken collarbone Sunday. “The Steelers […]

The NFL trade deadline (Tues. Nov. 5) is rapidly approaching, and while there has already been a flurry of moves, there are more trade candidates who could be changing jerseys ahead of Week 10. So far, wide receivers (Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins) and pass rushers (Josh Uche) have highlighted the recent deals. That […]

In the world of NFL trades, some teams are generally more active than others. And one team that might make a move this year is the Carolina Panthers. NFL insider Adam Schefter targeted Panthers receiver Diontae Johnson and Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith as trade deadline candidates. NFL teams have one more game prior to […]

The NFL moved the 2024 trade deadline back one week. Deadline day usually occurs on the Tuesday after Week 8, but this year, the last day to make moves is on the Tuesday after Week 9. We’ve already seen this change drastically affect the way teams operate during trade seasons. Frequency of trade deadline deals […]

Heading into the 2024 NFL season, it looked like this just might be the Cleveland Browns’ year. Coming into the season with one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, very good coaches on both sides of the ball, and a ton of potential, fans were eager to see if Deshaun Watson could finally put […]

The Detroit Lions are looking like one of the NFL’s hottest teams heading into Week 7. Detroit is 4-1 heading into a hugely important game against the 5-0 Vikings on Sunday. Unfortunately, the Lions will have to battle the rest of the season without star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. One veteran edge rusher has emerged […]

The Browns’ Za’Darius Smith is a standout defensive end who proved his mettle with 5.5 sacks last year for Coach Kevin Stefanski’s team. Heading into this season, concern lingered over a knee contusion that Smith suffered 10 days ago, forcing him off the field in a cart. Now, Smith is turning heads with his arrival […]

The Cleveland Browns are ready for a big 2024 season. Cleveland has managed to assemble a great roster even though they’ve been saddled with the aftermath of the Deshaun Watson trade. Ironically, they now seem to be just one QB away from being a perennial contender in the AFC. The Browns may have to lean […]

Cleveland Browns fans can now breathe a sigh of relief as head coach Kevin Stefanski has given a major update on DE Za’Darius Smith’s training camp injury. After medical reevaluation, the defensive end had suffered a knee contusion, with further testing to determine the extent of the injury. Smith had sustained a knee injury on […]

When the Cleveland Browns drafted defensive lineman Michael Hall Jr. with the No. 54 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it felt like they were getting a special player. Hall is an imposing 6-foot-3, 300-pound goliath who can stuff the run and get after the quarterback. His numbers weren’t huge at Ohio State, but […]

The Cleveland Browns are amid intense preparations for the upcoming year of action as the 2024 NFL Preseason approaches. Cleveland has several stout contributors returning. However, one defensive star suffered a concerning injury during practice on Monday. Za’Darius Smith was carted off the field with an unknown ailment, per ClevelandDot.com’s Dan Labbe. Hopefully, Smith’s injury […]

The recent deal struck between Za’Darius Smith and the Cleveland Browns was expected and welcomed by Browns fans. This carries a lucrative two-year, $23.5 million deal that ensures an elite sack artist stays in Northeast Ohio. As we delve into the intricacies of this move, it becomes imperative to analyze the potential impact, value, and […]

The Cleveland Browns are reinforcing their defense after a strong 2023-24 showing. Cleveland has made a major NFL Free Agency move on veteran defensive end Za’Darius Smith. Browns keep key defensive contributor on the roster Za’Darius Smith is staying in Cleveland on a two-year, $23.5 million base deal with an upside to $25 million, per […]

The Cleveland Browns suffered a devastating road loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. This has left fans and analysts alike searching for answers. The Browns were thoroughly outplayed in all three phases of the game. As the dust settles on this demoralizing defeat, it’s time to take […]

The Cleveland Browns suffered a narrow loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8. However, losing Za’Darius Smith for an extended period of time would cause the Browns to be in a much greater stage of panic. Smith went to the blue medical tent in the third quarter against the Seahawks, however, he returned and […]

$86,474: That is the new total amount of money that the league has fined players due to penalties against San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey. In their Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith was called for a facemask penalty against McCaffrey. This led to a $10,297 fine […]

The Cleveland Browns are in a state of mourning on Monday night, not just because of their 26-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but because they’ll now be without Nick Chubb for the rest of the season after the running back is believed to have sustained a significant, season-ending knee injury. Deshaun Watson and Myles […]

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has been active in bolstering his team’s defense in the offseason. For one, he brought in Za’Darius Smith last month. The Browns acquired Smith and two draft picks from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a pair of fifth-round picks. Smith’s future with the Vikings was up in the […]

Za’Darius Smith had a brilliant start to the 2022 season with the Minnesota Vikings, but it was a different story for him in the second half of the campaign as his production slipped. Now, after being traded to the Cleveland Browns, he opened up about the sudden dip in his numbers and what really happened. […]

Za’Darius Smith made his return to the AFC North last week. The Cleveland Browns acquired Smith and a pair of draft picks from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for two fifth-round picks. Smith will have multiple pivotal tests in his first season with the Browns, including two against the Lamar Jackson-led Baltimore Ravens offense. The […]

The Cleveland Browns defense got much scarier after their trade for Za’Darius Smith. Now playing next to Myles Garrett, Smith is ready to help the Browns take the NFL by storm. Cleveland traded a pair of fifth-round draft picks to the Minnesota Vikings for Smith. After the trade was announced, Smith received a text from […]

The Cleveland Browns made a splash last Friday by trading for 3-time Pro Bowl defensive end Za’Darius Smith with the Minnesota Vikings. Before they pulled the trigger on the trade, the Browns were apparently looking at signing another 3-time Pro Bowl defender in Melvin Ingram, reports ProFootballTalk’s Josh Alper. Melvin Ingram is a free agent […]

Za’Darius Smith seems to be pleased with the Minnesota Vikings’ decision to trade him to the Cleveland Browns. Two teams other than the Browns pursued a Za’Darius Smith trade, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but the pass rusher thought it would be appealing to play alongside Myles Garrett in Cleveland. Smith and Garrett are two […]

The Minnesota Vikings are trying to revamp their defense after a miserable showing during the 2022 season, and that usually involves adding notable pass rushers who can create havoc for opposing quarterbacks. The Vikings thought they did that a year ago when they brought in Za’Darius Smith. The full trade, per league source:#Browns get:Za'Darius Smith2025 […]

3-time Pro Bowl defensive end Za’Darius Smith has been traded from the Minnesota Vikings to the Cleveland Browns, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He will now be alongside Myles Garrett on a formidable defensive line for the 2023 season. The #Vikings are trading three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to the #Browns, sources tell […]

Pass rusher Za’Darius Smith has told the Minnesota Vikings that he would like to be released, but the team has no plans to do so at this point. #Vikings Pro Bowl pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith informed the team that he wants to be released, I’m told. The team has no plans to do that. The situation […]

The Minnesota Vikings had one of the best records in football last season yet never quite seemed like one of the best teams in the league. In the 2023 NFL offseason, the team needs to make some major salary cap moves to help the team next season and in the future. Here are four bold […]

The San Francisco 49ers had a difficult and unfortunate finish to an otherwise fairy-tale season. Despite losing not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR quarterbacks, the Niners won the NFC West and finished among the final four teams in the 2022-23 NFL season. The sting of losing the NFC Championship Game remains, though. […]

The Minnesota Vikings were riding high heading into Week 11 of the 2022 NFL season after pulling off a wild victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 10. They ended up crashing back down to earth after they got absolutely destroyed by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon by a score of 40-3. The Vikings […]

The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL through the first half of the season. They have the second best record in the NFL at 7-1 so far, with their only loss coming at the hands of the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. The Vikings are looking likely to run away with […]

The Minnesota Vikings outlasted the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 34-26, at home in Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season. This sixth win solidifies the Vikings’ hold on first place in the NFC North. Here we will look at Za’Darius Smith and three other Vikings most responsible for their Week 8 win vs. the Cardinals. The […]

The Minnesota Vikings improved to 6-1 on the season with a thrilling victory over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, 34-26. In the win, the Vikings sustained a couple injuries to key players; namely Adam Thielen and Za’Darius Smith. After the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the injuries. O’Connell said that neither injury was serious. […]

The Minnesota Vikings continued to roll, booking their fourth straight win after beating the Miami Dolphins, 24-16, on the road in Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season. This win propelled the Vikings to solo first place in the NFC West and just a game behind the unbeaten Eagles in their conference. Here we’ll look […]

Aaron Rodgers has finally addressed the recent controversial comments made by his former teammate Za’Darius Smith, but the Green Bay Packers quarterback doesn’t want to add more drama to the issue. Smith made headlines when he revealed that he chose to sign with the Minnesota Vikings to be able to play the Packers twice a […]

The Green Bay Packers defense is in a good spot, and head coach Matt LaFleur knows this. They did, however, lose a key pass rusher in Za’Darius Smith this offseason after he was released and signed with the Packers rivals in the Minnesota Vikings. There appears to be some bad blood between Smith and the […]

Za’Darius Smith was given 42 million reasons to sign with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. Make that 42 million and one after his latest fighting words against his former club – the Green Bay Packers. In a sit down with Go Long‘s Tyler Dunne, Smith was candid in that one of the primary reasons he joined […]