Green Bay Packers Release Za’Darius Smith, 2x Pro Bowler; Retain Preston Smith With $52 Million Contract

As the league matches are about to begin, the trade market is witnessing hasty deals from the player-deficit clubs. Za’ Darius Smith, the pass rusher was released by the Green Bay Packers and has retained Preston Smith with a hefty deal of $52.5 million for 4 years. The deal comes just days after Aaron Rodgers was given a contract extension.

Moreover, the team can’t afford to leave a superstar quarterback like Rodgers to curb a low salary cap that it’s facing for a long time.

Za’ Darius Smith: An incredible pass-rusher

The two-time Pro-Bowler was signed by the Packers in 2019 from a free agent class. On Monday, the franchise released him after two years of incredible service. Certainly, the cap pressure and his health conditions might have been the two concerning factors for the team.

In his previous season, Smith underwent back surgery and was unable to attend the offseason practices keeping him out of the training sessions. Smith was initially bought for a humongous deal of $66 million for 4 years. He was the highest-paid free agent during that time.

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Smith lived up to the expectations and joined the league of Aaron Donald and TJ Watt with 12 plus sacks in the 2019 and 2020 seasons of NFL. With his release, the Packers have saved $15.75 million in their salary-cap space.

Preston Smith retained by the Packers

It was a golden Monday for the pass-rusher. The Packers decided to retain their star player in the upcoming season. The star will be entering the last season of his previous contract and this deal will extend his tenure for 4 more years.

The deal was made with an agreement of $52.5 million for 4 years. He will also receive more than $12.5 million as a part of the previous contract. It is now estimated that the entire deal will earn him $71 million-plus incentives for the upcoming 5 seasons and an opportunity to stay with the team. However, the trade clauses and other details about the deal are not disclosed yet.

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Preston Smith has always been a valuable asset for the team for the past few years. He became the only player in the history of the NFL with 25-plus sacks, five-plus interceptions from 2015 to 2021. Out of his 7 years in the league, he played the first four seasons with the Washington Commanders. It’s yet to see what magic he will create in the upcoming season. Also, a tough call for other released players as well, to hop in a lucrative deal at this point in time.

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