Not every trade has a winner and a loser. If only the Green Bay Packers could make deals with the New York Jets every time.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a smart team, and there's a reason why they traded for Preston Smith, potentially making this a win-win deal for both sides.
Smith revealed that he requested a trade after struggling to adapt to Green Bay's new defensive scheme and wanted a chance to play in a more familiar 3-4 system. The Packers saw an opportunity to get significant future cap hits off their books and also added a seventh-round draft choice. Trading Smith made sense for the Packers. The only complaint was their failure to find a replacement.
It didn't take long for Smith to make an instant impact in Pittsburgh.
Preston Smith's dream Steelers debut creates win-win trade scenario for Packers
Back in a more comfortable role in Pittsburgh's 3-4 defense, Smith helped the team pick up a crucial one-point victory over the Washington Commanders. The veteran made one sack, one quarterback hit, two tackles for loss, and three solo tackles, and he achieved this despite only playing 23 snaps.
Talk about making an impact. Smith is a great fit for Pittsburgh's defense, and it's not surprising to see him make a fast start.
The concern for the Packers isn't that they should regret trading Smith. It wasn't working in Jeff Hafley's scheme, and factoring in his contract, it was a smart decision to move on. The bigger issue is that the entire pass rush has struggled for consistency in the new defense, and Smith's performance in his Steelers debut could hint at Hafley's scheme not suiting the Packers' personnel.
Fixing the pass rush is a priority for the Packers during the bye week. While they have shown flashes, including their eight-sack performance against the Tennessee Titans, these moments are few and far between. Can Hafley make adjustments to get the best out of Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, and Lukas Van Ness?
The Packers need the latter to step up following Smith's departure. Van Ness has made a concerning start to the season, making only one sack and six pressures, per PFF.
It's great to see Smith performing well in a scheme that suits him, and both teams should be happy with the early returns from the trade. Green Bay created future cap space, added a draft pick, and gets the opportunity to give more snaps to its young edge-rushers. Pittsburgh added another piece to its talented pass rush.
Based on his first performance, Smith can make a huge impact for the Steelers. He looked back to his best in Week 10. It's now on Hafley to help the pass-rushers still in Green Bay to do the same.
