{"id":83636,"date":"2025-08-26T09:20:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T09:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=83636"},"modified":"2025-08-26T09:20:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T09:20:44","slug":"breaking-packers-need-to-brace-for-a-showdown-with-zadarius-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=83636","title":{"rendered":"Breaking: Packers Need to Brace for a Showdown with Za&#8217;Darius Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"relative z-10\">\n<h1 class=\"my-2.5 text-black font-group-gigantic !leading-[30px] md:!leading-[44px]\">Packers better brace for an imminent collision course with Za&#8217;Darius Smith<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"mb-0 md:mb-9 relative md:mx-10 md:mb-9 !mb-[20px]\">\n<figure class=\"relative\">\n<div class=\"overflow-hidden bg-lightGrey\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_360,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 1x,  \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 719px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 1079px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 2x,\n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F51%2F01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg 3x\" media=\"(min-width: 1080px)\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full\" title=\"Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5478,h_3081\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/51\/01k3hw0ntyzy11z01yp1.jpg\" alt=\"Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions\" width=\"5478\" height=\"3081\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 text-xs text-[#FFF] p-[0.75rem] text-shadow-[0_0_8px_rgba(255,255,255,1)] not-italic\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 text-xs text-[#FFF] p-[0.75rem] text-shadow-[0_0_8px_rgba(255,255,255,1)] not-italic\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions | Gregory Shamus\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-center lg:justify-normal\">\n<div class=\"flex lg:mr-4 lg:w-[calc(70%-3em)] max-w-full\"><main class=\"min-w-0 flex-1 odesa-article-main\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"viewablity-block\">\n<div class=\"article-content [&amp;_p]:leading-[30px] [&amp;_p]:md:leading-[28px] [&amp;_li]:leading-[30px] [&amp;_li]:md:leading-[28px]\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">Buckle up. The Green Bay Packers&#8217; upcoming clash with the Detroit Lions might be about to get a cinematic twist.<\/p>\n<p>Za&#8217;Darius Smith\u00a0couldn&#8217;t hide how much he enjoyed helping the Lions beat the Packers late last season. His ugly exit from Green Bay sparked a revenge tour with the Lions after the trade deadline. Who&#8217;s ready for Round 2? Nothing has happened yet, but it sure looks like we might get it when the Lions visit Lambeau Field in less than two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>There has been speculation all summer about Smith rejoining the Lions, and the Pro Bowler has\u00a0made it clear he wants to return to Detroit. While it hasn&#8217;t happened yet, the team&#8217;s surprising roster cuts seem to point toward it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">Lions&#8217; roster cuts clear path for a Za&#8217;Darius Smith return just in time for Packers clash in Week 1<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">We, again, have to stress that Smith hasn&#8217;t signed with the Lions. Maybe he won&#8217;t. But based on how many talented pass-rushers Detroit is letting go ahead of the roster cutdown deadline, it&#8217;s beginning to look realistic.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">The Lions&#8217; decision to cut preseason standout Nate Lynn stood out.\u00a0Candace Pedraza of\u00a0SideLion Report\u00a0believes it could lead to a Smith reunion.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\"><em><strong>&#8220;Smith and the Lions have been in a back and forth public negotiation throughout this offseason, with neither side ever getting antsy enough to get a deal done,&#8221; Pedraza writes.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\"><em><strong>&#8220;Detroit&#8217;s up to something. That much is clear. This is beyond just keeping the best of the best on the roster, especially as the team is all too aware of how quickly injuries and the lack of proper backups can sink a season. Smith just seems primed to be next up on their priority list once more cuts are finalized.&#8221;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">It&#8217;s hard to argue with that. Smith has made it clear that he&#8217;s interested in returning to the Lions. This summer,\u00a0he told\u00a0USA Today that he hopes to &#8220;get back to where I want to be in Detroit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">The Lions cutting talented pass-rushers like it&#8217;s going out of fashion would suddenly make sense. They have left themselves painfully thin at a premium position behind Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">It potentially sets the stage for a reunion with Smith, and the timing couldn&#8217;t be more fitting.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">He didn&#8217;t participate in the preseason or training camp. How about his first snap comes at Lambeau Field against the Packers? The Week 1 showdown is a big-time contest already, but that would add another fun storyline to the drama.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">We&#8217;ll see. Nothing is confirmed, and the Lions waiting all summer to sign him isn&#8217;t entirely logical. It would&#8217;ve made more sense to re-sign Smith sooner to get reps in a new system.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">But maybe this was the plan all along. The Lions have made some surprising cuts, and it has seemingly opened the door for a Smith vs. Packers showdown in a little under two weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Packers better brace for an imminent collision course with Za&#8217;Darius Smith Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions | Gregory Shamus\/GettyImages Buckle up. The Green Bay Packers&#8217; upcoming&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":83637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Breaking: Packers Need to Brace for a Showdown with Za&#039;Darius Smith - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=83636\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Breaking: Packers Need to Brace for a Showdown with Za&#039;Darius Smith - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Packers better brace for an imminent collision course with Za&#8217;Darius Smith Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions | Gregory Shamus\/GettyImages Buckle up. 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