All eyes have been on a possible Za'Darius Smith-Detroit Lions reunion throughout the offseason, but one analyst believes Detroit's division rival is a better fit.
The Lions surprisingly cut Smith earlier this offseason, with general manager Brad Holmes admitting the team simply couldn't afford him. The move was not popular, especially when you consider the Lions needed to add to the position, not subtract from it.
Holmes has made it clear he's still interested in Smith, and the veteran has stated he wants to return to Detroit. But with the season drawing near, one has to wonder if a reunion will actually happen.
“We both know where I want to be,” Smith told USA TODAY Sports. “Hopefully I can get back to Detroit because the coaching staff and everybody in the front office are great. When I’m there I feel like a leader and like I can influence the young guys and do great things. Hopefully I can get back to where I want to be in Detroit.”
If he had a say in the matter, Yardbarker's Jose Esquer would send Smith to the Green Bay Packers, who he dubbed as the best fit for the three-time Pro Bowler.
"Smith makes sense for Green Bay, where the team’s top pass-rusher (Rashan Gary) finished with just 7.5 sacks last season," he wrote. "Smith, who played for the Packers from 2019-21, felt slighted by the franchise for his release before the 2022 season, but this may be a case where mending fences could benefit both sides."
Za'Darius Smith won't sign with Packers
As Esquer points out, Smith is already familiar with Green Bay, but he did not have a pleasant exit after he publicly criticized the team following his release in 2022.
Smith, who tallied nine sacks last season, said he was "treated bad" and went from highly thought of inside the building "to a nobody."
Bear in mind, the Packers still sport the same head coach in Matt LaFleur and general manager in Brian Gutekunst as they did upon Smith's exit, so it's hard to envision the veteran going back to Green Bay with both still there.
The Lions have been — and will continue to be — the best fit for Smith, a team that is depending on an injury-prone Marcus Davenport to start opposite Aidan Hutchinson, who is also coming back from a significant injury.
Whether or not that reunion happens remains to be seen, but if Smith does end up playing elsewhere, we wouldn't envision him landing with the Packers.
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