Za’Darius Smith is on a mission this season, even with a limited workload for the Atlanta Falcons. The edge rusher has already racked up a solid 2.5 sacks in just 44 defensive snaps through two games. Get this: he’s the only player on the entire Falcons’ roster with more than half a sack so far, proving he’s still got that explosive power.
From Green Bay Dominance to an Abrupt Split
Rewind a bit to the 2019 offseason, when Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst went all-in to beef up their edge defense. He landed Preston Smith on a four-year deal and then scooped up Za’Darius Smith, who’d spent his first four NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. The “Smith Brothers” became an absolute problem for opposing offenses for two seasons, no joke. Za’Darius was a Pro Bowler back-to-back in 2019 and 2020, tearing it up with 13.5 and 12.5 sacks respectively. Preston was right there with him, hitting double-digits with 12 sacks in their first year together, although he dialed it back to four in 2020.
But then, 2021 hit different. An abrupt end to the experiment. A back injury and some chatter about him not being voted a team captain limited Za’Darius to just one game, the season opener, before he was shut down on injured reserve. Before the final year of his four-year deal, Green Bay released him. He bounced right back though, signing with the Minnesota Vikings and delivering another 10-sack Pro Bowl season. Since then, he’s been on a bit of a tour, hitting up the Browns, Lions, and Eagles before landing in Atlanta this offseason.
The “Limited Workload” Myth: Smith Is Still a Force
Now with the Falcons, Smith is showing flashes of that power rushing ability that made him a nightmare for QBs earlier in his career. Yeah, it’s been a limited workload through two games, but he’s making every snap count. He’s third among the Falcons’ defensive ends in snaps, yet he’s still putting up those kinds of numbers. Oh, and two of those 2.5 sacks? They came against his old teammate, Aaron Rodgers, in Week 1. Pro Football Reference also has him down for a total of six QB pressures, which is a seriously solid rate to kick off the season. The dude is still bringing the heat, no doubt about it.
Thursday night’s game is gonna be a big one for Za’Darius. It’ll be his fourth time facing the Packers since he split with the team after the 2021 season. He’s had some mixed results against them already. Back in 2022, his first game at Lambeau Field with the Vikings, he had just three tackles and little impact in a late-season 41-17 Packers victory. But he also saw his Vikings team beat Green Bay in Minnesota earlier that 2022 season. And let’s not forget 2024 when he was a Detroit Lion, helping them beat the Packers 34-31 at Ford Field on Thursday Night Football. The stage is set for another chapter. Can Za’Darius Smith keep defying expectations and keep that early-season fire burning against the team that let him go? It’s going to be a must-watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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