Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson discusses contract situation
Aidan Hutchinson answered questions about a potential contract extension after Detroit Lions’ joint practice with the Houston Texans, Aug. 21, 2025.
Za’Darius Smith won’t be coming back to the Detroit Lions.
The edge defender signed Friday, Sept. 5, with the Philadelphia Eagles after the Lions released him nearly six months ago. The organization made it official Friday afternoon, also moving former Michigan and Michigan State player Ben VanSumeran to injured reserve.
The signing of Smith, who turns 33 on Sept. 8, leaves the Lions’ edge rushers still lacking depth. Behind starters Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad was the only backup who remained on the roster when it was pared down below the mandated 53-player maximum Aug. 26. The Lions then claimed Tyrus Wheat, an edge defender who appeared in 20 games for the Dallas Cowboys the past two seasons, off waivers.
Smith made nine appearances for Detroit after the Lions acquired him last November in a deadline trade with the Cleveland Browns that also included an exchange of Day 3 draft picks. Smith generated 40 pressures and collected four sacks while helping mitigate the loss of Hutchinson and Davenport after both suffered season-ending injuries early in the 2024 season.
But the Lions couldn’t afford to keep him, according to general manager Brad Holmes. He was set to make just $1.5 million in base salary this year but would have been owed $8.99 million in bonus money had he remained on the roster. So, the Lions cut him March 10, right before the dawn of free agency.
Since then, the organization left open the door for a reunion by engaging in periodic dialogue with Smith’s agent. In an early August radio interview on WXYT-FM (97.1), Holmes said “there’s obviously still interest” in re-signing Smith, who told USA TODAY Sports in June he wanted “to get back to Detroit.”
Instead, Smith will join the reigning Super Bowl champions in Philadelphia. The Eagles opened the 2025 season with a 24-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Sept. 4. Philadelphia didn’t sack Dallas QB Dak Prescott once, despite 34 dropbacks in the game.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.
This story was updated to reflect the Smith signing becoming official.