Will Lions HC Dan Campbell re-sign Za’Darius Smith amid concerns about the team’s future? Alas, DE Smith’s potential return to the Lions remains uncertain. Despite Smith’s spectacular performance with 4 sacks and 40 pressures during last season, he was released by the Lions. Since then, the team has been going through a tough period of roster uncertainty.  Also, Lions GM Brad Holmes also hinted that his team decided to give up on the defensive player for the time being. “The chances of him returning to the team are next to zero—unless his agent comes up with a new plan,” he remarked. Hence, Smith’s return to the team is questionable.

Amidst all this, a Detroit-based rapper publicly supported Detroit HC Campbell. It ignited fans’ interest regarding the potential return of Smith to the team. The veteran defensive player Za’Darius Smith re-shared American rapper and actress Kash Doll’s post on his IG story. Along with sharing a short video clip, featuring herself with rumored boyfriend Smith, she vouched for his return to the Lions. “Tell him to come back yall @ zadariussmith,” the For Everybody artist mentioned in her post.

In the video, Detroit, Michigan native, Kash Doll, was seen requesting him to come back to the Lions. “Oh my God, Za’Darius, can you please come back to the Lions?  Detroit loves Za’Darius. Yes, we love Za’Darius. Come back,” she stated.

But, besides the actress’s request for Smith to rejoin the Lions, do you know what was the other thing that really drew the fan’s attention? Well, it was none other than Za’Darius Smith’s hilarious remark that could be heard in the video. “You gonna help pay my salary?” he humorously added. Then the Ice Me Out singer asked, “How much is it?” The light hearted conversation between two raised a serious question: will Smith’s agent go back to Brad Holmes with a new proposal?

Also, it really demonstrated the NFL player’s intention to rejoin the Lions… if they pay him his desired salary.  Back in March, the team released him into free agency due to salary cap concerns as they looked to run short.  Since then, the Lions have been navigating a period of roster uncertainty, with Smith’s return to the team in doubt.

Za’Darius Smith’s Lions return in doubt

Despite their impressive regular season, the Lions’ Super Bowl hopes fell short after a shock thrashing by the Commanders in the Divisional Round. But, undoubtedly, Smith’s performance last season was stellar. Impressively, 10-season veteran Za’Darius left his impact in a total of just 8 games. He posted 12 tackles with 7 solo tackles and 4 sacks, along with 10 QB Hits.  He really dominated throughout the season, and his performance led to speculations about a long stay with the Lions. But, due to salary cap concerns, the team released him on March 10.

Shockingly, Za’Darius Smith’s release came after just 4 months in Detroit. The Lions acquired Smith along with a 2026 seventh-round draft pick on November 5, 2024, in exchange for 2025 fifth- and 2026 sixth-round draft picks. After his trade, he first played for the Lions in the November 17 game against the Jaguars. In this game, he posted half of a sack on quarterback Mac Jones, helping the team in a 52–6 victory. No doubt Dan Campbell would love to have him at his disposal.

But fast forward to April, with Campbell busy assessing the draft options, Holmes stated that the team couldn’t “afford” to keep Smith.  On April 17, Holmes gave an update about the DE’s contract. He said, “We haven’t had any discussions since (I spoke about him last month) and I think we kind of left it as that his agent would let us know if something was going on or anything had changed or if we had any updates. But no, we haven’t had any discussions since then.” Their gain on releasing Smith?

By releasing Smith, the Lions saved approximately $5.75 million in cap space. The Lions cut him loose in March due to tight cap space, primarily due to an $8.99 million bonus he was owed. The DE’s base salary was $1.5 million.  But he brought heat when he was on the field, with 40 pressures and four sacks. That impact is truly undeniable. But fans should not count on a reunion. Word is, there’s been zero conversation between his camp and the team. The door now looks practically bolted shut.