ClutchPoints
The Philadelphia Eagles officially removed edge rusher Za’Darius Smith from the reserve/retired list on Wednesday. The transaction, which appeared on the NFL’s daily transaction report, means the 33-year-old is now a free agent and eligible to sign with any team should he decide to come back to the league. There has been no indication yet about whether Smith intends to play again.
Smith stepped away from football abruptly last October. Before retiring, he suited up for five games with Philadelphia in 2025, finishing with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He had joined the Eagles on a one-year deal right before the season began.
Smith’s career began when the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. After completing his four-year rookie deal with Baltimore, he landed a four-year, $66 million contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2019, where he compiled 26 sacks across three seasons.
Green Bay cut Smith before the 2021 campaign, when he was due a $14,500,000 base salary. He initially agreed to a four-year, $35 million return to the Ravens but backed out, instead inking a three-year, $42 million pact with the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota later dealt him to the Cleveland Browns, where he signed a two-year, $23.5 million contract. Cleveland then shipped him to the Detroit Lions along with a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2026 sixth-round selection. Detroit let him go before his deal’s final year, leading to his Philadelphia stint.
In related moves, the Eagles waived linebackers Isiah King and Chandler Martin and signed guard Michael Jordan to a new contract.
The post Eagles release Za’Darius Smith from Reserve/Retired list appeared first on ClutchPoints.
