Za'Darius Smith Still Irate at Packers: 'They Lied'

When Za’Darius Smith was first asked about a potential trade to the Detroit Lions, he expressed excitement at the chance to return to a division that featured two of his former teams. 

The veteran still has pent-up ill will about the way his tenure ended with the Green Bay Packers. In addition to having the chance to pursue a Super Bowl, being traded to Detroit also allowed him to take on his former team. In Detroit’s Week 14 win over Green Bay, Smith notched a sack on the Packers’ first offensive play of the game. 

Reflecting on his time with the Packers with Go Long, Smith noted that his disdain for the way things ended stems from how the team treated a back injury he was dealing with. 

That strained relationship hasn’t improved, even after Smith has spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and now Detroit. 

“It wasn’t right. I gave that team my all. They lied to me about my back,” Smith told Go Long. “For a lot of fans who think I did wrong or was the mean guy in the locker room, that’s not my M.O. I’m not that type of player. I want to help my team win. But they didn’t know that story. And outside looking in, I’d be mad at me too.” 

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The veteran defender explained that he had been hampered by a back injury. Initially, the medical staff didn’t tell him about a bulge in his back after an evaluation. Smith got a second opinion from Dr. Robert Watkins, and learned that he indeed was dealing with a bulge in his back, which was causing nerve issues. 

Smith flew out to California for this evaluation, which did not go over well with the Packers. When he returned out to California to have surgery, the Packers fined him every day he was gone. 

“This is what the fans aren’t knowing. It added up to a million dollars,” Smith said. “They didn’t void it. They kept it because I wanted to leave and go check my back.” 

After returning to the team later in the year, he recounted being irate when the Packers tried to get him to run and test his back which had been surgically repaired. 

“Trying to rush me in back. When I was running, I said, ‘What the f**k y’all doing? Why are y’all doing this?’ They gave me something to squat with," Smith said. "I got my stuff and I went home. I left. So that’s where the confusion came from: ‘Z ain’t a team leader. He just ditched his teammates.’ But the world’s not knowing.” 

Ultimately, Smith and the Packers parted ways following the 2021 season. He landed in Minnesota for the 2022 campaign, then was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2023. After a year and a half with the Browns, he was traded to Detroit at this year's deadline.

Since coming to Detroit, Smith has emerged into a leader for an injury-riddled defense. He has three sacks in six games with the team. His leadership has proven vital for a group of young pass rushers on the defensive line, and his ability to get to the quarterback will be a skill Detroit relies on as it begins its postseason run.