A move that has been highly anticipated over the last few days has finally happened.
The Cleveland Browns traded defensive end Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions Tuesday morning, according to multiple reports, continuing a season of change for the Browns.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Browns are sending Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Lions for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick. Smith is under contract for the 2025 season, too.
The move makes a great deal of sense for Detroit. It lost star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson a few weeks ago to a gruesome leg injury in a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys, ending what appeared to be a potential Defensive Player of the Year season for the former Michigan star.
Without Hutchinson, the Lions needed some help rushing the passer. Insert Smith.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Browns originally wanted a fourth-round pick for Smith and were holding off on the deal until after Week 9 games to see if the need for a pass rusher from other teams drove the price up. That didn’t happen, leading to the move with the Lions.
Smith, 32, was starting to really take off in recent weeks for the Browns, generating 17 of his 27 pressures on the season in the last three weeks, while recording a sack in two of the last three weeks as well. He has 5.0 sacks on the season.
The move to Detroit brings a sense of familiarity for Smith. The 10th-year veteran spent four seasons in the NFC North, playing three seasons with the Green Bay Packers and one season with the Minnesota Vikings before making his move back to the AFC North to play with the Browns. Previously, Smith spent four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
The trade of Smith marks the second big move of the season for the Browns, who previously dealt wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills after a dreadful start to the season.
Smith being traded out of the AFC is good news for the Steelers, who will face the Browns twice in the second half of the season and won’t have to deal with the former Pro Bowl pass rusher. In nine career games against the Steelers, Smith had 3.0 sacks.
