Getty
Former Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith.
The Chicago Bears have spent a long time scheming for one specific edge rusher who has now had stints with all three of their NFC North Division opponents.
Defensive end Za’Darius Smith has pursued, and frequently terrorized, Bears quarterbacks as a member of the Green Bay Packers from 2019-21, the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and the Detroit Lions for the second half of last season after they traded for him with the Cleveland Browns.
Smith compiled 40 sacks in 57 games played as members of the Bears’ biggest rivals, and the time may have finally come for Chicago to stop scheming against Smith and start paying him to do damage for its defense.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated linked the Bears to interest in Smith during a mailbag he authored on June 25.
“[The Bears will] get a look at … Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo (who plays some inside on passing downs) on the edges when the pads go on, and then maybe consider guys such as … Za’Darius Smith or Matthew Judon as edge rushers,” Breer wrote.
Za’Darius Smith Can Fill Legitimate Need on Bears’ Roster
GettyFormer Detroit Lions edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.
On Thursday, July 3, Matt Holder of Bleacher Report named Chicago among the top landing spots for Smith as training camp approaches later this month.
“The soon-to-be 33-year-old has never been known as a stout run defender and is getting up there in age, likely pushing him into a pass-rush specialist role moving forward. But a team that’s in the market for a veteran who can contribute on third downs should at least kick the tires on the three-time Pro Bowler,” Holder wrote. “With Dayo Odeyingbo taking the early-down responsibilities and sliding inside in passing situations, Smith would be a great complement on the edge with Montez Sweat.”
Smith will enter his 11th NFL campaign in 2025, with three Pro Bowls (the most recent coming in 2022) and a second-team All-Pro selection to his credit. He has tallied 173 QB hits, 85 tackles for loss and 69 sacks across 140 games played (96 starts) and still has serious pass-rushing chops after tallying nine sacks last season.
Bears Could Help Themselves, Hurt Lions by Inking Za’Darius Smith
GettyFormer Detroit Lions defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith.
Smith’s cost could potentially be a hold up in his free agency, but Chicago should be able to afford to pay for a pass-rush specialist in his early 30s with relative ease.
The Bears could use a hit of depth at the premier position anyway and have nearly $15 million in salary cap space available as of July 4. Smith just completed a two-year contract worth $23 million ($11.5 million per season) and will likely be available for roughly that total annually, if not a little less, moving forward.
More importantly, though, acquiring Smith could do some legitimate damage to the two-time reigning division champion Lions in the process. Detroit’s biggest roster hole is at the edge-rusher position, even with Aidan Hutchinson set to return from a broken leg he suffered relatively early in the 2024 campaign.
Smith finished second on the Lions’ roster last season with four total sacks, despite playing in just eight games for the team. Hutchinson was first with 7.5 sacks across just five appearances in 2024. Detroit hasn’t made any meaningful additions at the position, save for drafting Ahmed Hassanein out of Boise State in Round 6 of the 2025 draft.
As such, the Bears deciding to scoop up Smith could prove a meaningful blow to the team they hope to topple this season.
