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 remains unresolved. https://t.co/1jWfnK36w4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2023
As a result, the situation has to be resolved between the two sides. Smith completed his first year with the Vikings in 2022 and he was second on the team to Danielle Hunter in sacks with 10.0, but the majority of his quarterback traps came in the first half of the season.
Smith offered a social media message thanking Vikings teammates and fans for an “amazing season.”
The Vikings struggled on defense even though they went 13-4 and won the NFC North title. They ranked 31st in yards allowed, and it was part of a continuing pattern of poor defensive play by Minnesota that had started in the 2020 season.
The Vikings were hoping that the combination of Smith and a healthy Hunter (10.5 sacks) would give the Vikings a formidable defense. Those plans quickly went awry, and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell did not vary the game plan and that made it easier for opposing offenses to attack.
New defensive coordinator Brian Flores is planning to install a more complex and varied defense, but it is clear that significant personnel changes have to be made for the defense to be successful.
Za'Darius Smith was very successful with the Green Bay Packers prior to coming to the Vikings. He missed the 2021 season due to injury, but he had 13.5 and 12.5 sacks, respectively in 2019 and 2020. The 30-year-old would like to show that he can still be a game-changing player, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to demonstrate that with the Vikings in 2023.
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