Za’Darius Smith ‘Potentially’ Could Miss Opener

Za'Darius Smith has practiced just once during training camp due to a back injury. He returned last week, only to miss the joint practices and second preseason game.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Za’Darius Smith’s protracted absence from the practice field is due to his back and not his contract.

The injury, coach Matt LaFleur said on Sunday, is significant enough that Smith “potentially” might not be available to face the New Orleans Saints in the season-opening game in exactly three weeks.

The two-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker, who spent the first 12 practices of training camp on the non-football injury list with a back issue, made his practice debut on Monday. His return was fleeting. Smith missed the joint practices against the New York Jets on Wednesday and Thursday and didn’t play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Jets, either.

Asked if Smith’s absence was related to his desire for a contract extension, general manager Brian Gutekunst, who normally does not talk about contracts, flatly said “no.” Twice, Gutekunst said Smith was “day to day” with the injury.

LaFleur, however, sounded a bit less optimistic about his star pass rusher.

“I’m not quite sure when we’ll get Z back,” LaFleur said a day after a 23-14 loss sent his team to 0-2 in the preseason. “He’s injured right now. I know he wants to be out there, but we’re going to be smart with him. He’s obviously a big-time player for us. It definitely is a concern.”

With Gutekunst needing to dig the Packers out of a deep salary-cap hole before the start of the league-year in March, Smith’s contract was one of several that he renegotiated. Smith’s revamped deal created almost $7.4 million of cap space at the expense of increasing his cap charge in 2022 – his final season under contract – to a whopping $28.1 million.

That’s an untenable number for the Packers, who are projected to be more than $50 million over next year’s cap. The best way to ease the financial burden would be through a contract extension, but that is not the impetus behind Smith's absence, Gutekunst said.

The crown jewel of Gutekunst’s monster 2019 class of free agents, Smith has been nothing short of sensational during his two seasons in Green Bay with 26 sacks.

While Smith had an impactful season in 2020, he wasn’t as great as he was in 2019. In his first year in Green Bay after signing a four-year, $64 million contract, Smith recorded 13.5 sacks and led the NFL with 93 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. In 2020, Smith had 12.5 sacks. On the downside, he ranked 17th with 51 pressures. On the bright side, he forced four fumbles – as many as his first five NFL seasons combined.

While Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary former a potentially elite trio, there’s little in the way of depth behind them. Former seventh-round pick Jonathan Garvin, waiver-wire pickup Chauncey Rivers and 2020 undrafted free agents Tipa Galeai and Delontae Scott round out the group. Combined, those four have zero sacks and five tackles in 10 games. Outside linebackers coach Mike Smith raved about Garvin’s potential on Sunday but, at this point, it’s just that: potential. He played in eight games as a rookie but was inactive throughout the second half of the season.

“He’s going to have a great career. Just love his demeanor,” Smith said. “I want to see his birth certificate. I think he’s 35. He’s got an old soul. But he’s going to be a good player. He’s still got a lot of growing to do, but he’s going to be a special player in this league.”