Detroit Lions reportedly declining option, parting ways with Za'Darius Smith
According to multiple reports Sunday afternoon, the Detroit Lions are parting ways with edge rusher Za’Darius Smith ahead of the new league year, which starts next Wednesday.
Acquired at the trade deadline last season, Smith helped buoy Detroit’s depleted pass rush, recording 4.0 sacks and 36 quarterback pressures across eight games.
With starters Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport lost to season-ending injuries, the Lions shipped a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round selection to the Browns for Smith. The Lions also received a seventh-round pick in 2026 as part of the exchange.
The teams went back and forth on compensation for weeks before reaching a deal on the day of the deadline. Following the season, Lions general manager Brad Holmes called it “the most difficult player acquisition journey that I’ve ever dealt with.”
Smith, 32, is a 10-year veteran who has appeared in 140 games, including 96 starts. He’s tallied 333 tackles and 69.0 sacks.
With the contract the Lions inherited from the Browns, Smith was due a $7 million option bonus late next week. Had Detroit exercised it, Smith would have carried a $5.7 million cap charge this season with a lingering $5.2 million dead money cap hit in 2026. By letting him go, the Lions are able to clear the contract from the books with no dead money hit.
Instead of retaining Smith, the Lions are opting to bring back Davenport, who appeared in just two games last season before suffering a season-ending triceps injury. On Saturday, the sides reached an agreement on a one-year deal, reportedly worth up to $4.75 million.
Posted in the chat, which you should definitely use if you're not already, but Davenport's deal is extremely incentive-heavy. He'll count just $1.75M against the cap this year.
Needs to be another move in the works.