USAT: Packers Wire audio clip

USAT: Packers Wire

Feb 18, 2022

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith posted a cryptic message on Twitter on Friday, potentially foreshadowing his departure from the team after three seasons. - Smith, who has an increasingly uncertain future with the team because of salary-cap reasons, posted nothing more than the eyeballs emoji on his official Twitter account, but it’s worth noting considering what could be on the horizon. - - Smith also scrubbed clean his Twitter and Instagram accounts, leaving behind no reference to the Packers. - Does the 2020 All-Pro know his time in Green Bay is coming to an end? - It’s certainly possible Smith will soon be released. His cap number rises to almost $27.7 million in 2022, the final year of his current contract. The Packers must find a way to drastically reduce Smith’s impact on the cap before the start of the new league year, and a release appears to be the only sensible path forward. If the Packers cut Smith, the team would save almost $15.3 million on the cap in 2022. - The Packers could pursue a trade, but two significant obstacles exist: teams know the Packers need to dump Smith’s salary, and a trade would mean the Packers have to keep Smith’s contract on the books past the start of the new league year. The team has to shed over $50 million from their cap commitments before March 16, and Smith’s contract is a huge part of the puzzle. - Smith was the Packers’ prized free-agent acquisition in 2019. He produced 26.0 sacks and 60 quarterback hits over two fantastic seasons in 2019 and 2020, but he played in just one regular-season game while battling a back injury that required surgery in 2021. He returned for the postseason and played a handful of snaps – producing a sack – in the Packers’ loss to the 49ers. - Smith turns 30 in September and is coming off a significant injury. But his quarterback-disrupting ability and versatility as a pass-rusher should make him an attractive player on the open market, especially considering how important rushing the quarterback remains in today’s NFL. - Regardless of whether Smith’s tweet meant something or nothing, expect something to be finalized on his future in Green Bay in the near future. - Also of note, the Packers replaced outside linebackers coach Mike Smith with Jason Rebrovich on Friday, meaning a big leadership change is in store for the Packers’ edge-rusher group. Smith is leaving Matt LaFleur’s coaching staff to pursue other opportunities. - - List - - How the Packers can stay all-in for 2022 while saving $90 million on the salary cap - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Packers Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Packers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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Mar 18, 2022
Feb 18, 2022