Packers Release Za’Darius Smith, Extend Preston Smith

Monday morning transactions involving Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Billy Turner took care of more than 60 percent of the Green Bay Packers' cap problems.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers started Monday, the unofficial start of free agency, about $43.8 million over the $208.2 million salary cap.

The Smith Bros. took care of more than half of that total. After signing Preston Smith to a contract extension on Monday morning, the Packers released Za’Darius Smith.

The release of Za’Darius Smith was not a surprise from a simple accounting standpoint. Green Bay has massive salary-cap problems and Smith, coming off season in which he played only 37 snaps because of a back injury that cost him the final 16 games of the regular season, had a base salary of $14.5 million for the upcoming season. Releasing him provided $15.28 million in cap savings.

Because he was released, the Packers will not receive a free-agent compensatory pick when he signs elsewhere.

Paired with the extension for Preston Smith, which keeps him contractually tied to Green Bay through the 2026 season, the Packers took care of a little more than half of their cap overage in those two transactions. Plus, the team released right tackle Billy Turner. Combined, that handles about 61 percent.

The Smith Bros., Turner and safety Adrian Amos were part of the franchise-shifting additions in free agency in 2019. The Packers won 13 games in all three of their seasons together.

As a Pro Bowler in 2019 and 2020, Za’Darius Smith piled up 26 sacks, 60 quarterback hits and five forced fumbles. He was a driving force behind defenses that reached back-to-back NFC Championship Games during those two seasons.

This season was a disaster, though. He showed up to training camp with a back injury and practiced only once. He gave it a go in Week 1 and played 18 snaps before being shut down and ultimately having surgery. He was back for the playoffs and recorded a sack on his first snap but did nothing else of note for his final 18 snaps.

So, that was it: 37 snaps, one sack. Coming off a back injury and having left the team altogether at one point, according to a source, he faces an uncertain future in free agency, though his production is impossible to ignore.

“Would have been nice to have him out there the whole time because our defense was playing at a very high level,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the Scouting Combine. “What Za’Darius can bring is certainly something we missed at times, you know? Really proud of Rashan (Gary) and Jonathan Garvin and Preston and those guys, the way they picked up the slack. Za’Darius is a really, really good player.”

He will turn 30 when the 2022 season kicks off. His position coach in Green Bay, Mike Smith, recently joined the staff of the rival Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are shifting to a 3-4 defensive scheme, so that could be a potential landing spot.

The depth behind Preston Smith and Rashan Gary was lacking last season. Presumably, the Packers will try to cobble together enough money to sign a veteran in free agency or use a premium draft pick at the position.