Zadarius Smith could be ‘game-changing pass rusher’ for KC Chiefs

We recently spoke to a Packers writer to tell us more about Zadarius Smith’s situation and potential market in free agency.

Earlier in the offseason, some rumors began to swirl around the Kansas City Chiefs as free agency began to come into view, one that linked the team to Green Bay Packers pass rusher Zadarius Smith. It assumed that not only Smith would be free and healthy but that the Chiefs were going to be interested as part of their defensive overhaul.

The rumors came from Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, who said that Smith would have to first be released from his current deal that has him on the hook for $27 million. While it was clear the Packers would want to clear that deal off the books, there are ways to restructure or extend that could alleviate that number.

The Packers decided to use the franchise tag on Davante Adams and all signs now point to Smith hitting free agency. In fact, the Packers have reportedly shown interest in giving a new contract extension to another pass rusher in Preston Smith instead, which further signals free agency is ahead for Zadarius.

As for the Chiefs, they have a glaring need for a starting defensive end and that will be an even greater need when the Chiefs officially decide to do something about Frank Clark‘s cap space.

If Zadarius Smith is going to come into view for the Chiefs, we asked our friend Freddie Boston who runs Lombardi Ave as the site expert, to tell us more about the Packers’ reasons for letting Smith go and to ask his expectations about what the market might dictate.

What are the chances that Zadarius Smith will be a free agent? Is it 100 percent?

It sure feels that way. There’s an outside chance the Packers could offer Smith a contract extension, but that doesn’t seem likely. Green Bay will save just over $15 million by releasing Smith, per Over The Cap. Smith has removed all references to the Packers from his social media accounts. At this point, moving on seems almost certain.

Have the Packers tried to work out something to make the finances work here?

The Packers restructured Smith’s contract a year ago to help their cap situation, pushing his 2022 cap hit to almost $28 million. Had he put in another Pro Bowl season, a long-term extension would’ve made sense, but after playing just two games due to injury, moving on has felt inevitable for many months now.

How worried would you be about this back injury? He did return for the postseason.

It’s hard to say. Smith missed a lot of time during training camp due to the injury, and few details were available at the time. He was available for the season opener but played a limited role and looked a long way off his best. The following week, Smith was placed on IR and didn’t return until the playoffs. He made a sack early in the game but that was his only notable contribution. However, if Smith is fully healthy, he is a Pro Bowl pass rusher.

Any idea how you’d expect the market to play out for him?

If there aren’t any concerns about his injury, any team searching for pass-rush help should be interested. Smith had 26 sacks and 60 QB hits in his first two seasons with the Packers. He’s a game-changer, a leader on the field, and loved by the fans. Smith could easily hit double-digit sacks again for his new team so it would be no surprise if he lands a big long-term deal.