Za’Darius Smith sees why the Lions are ‘dominant’ after first practice with new team; DE hopes to play against the Vikings

Smith arrived at the team facility for the first time on Friday. Earlier this week, Lions head coach Dan Campbell stressed the importance of giving Smith some time off, as the former Cleveland Browns pass rusher was scheduled to begin a bye week following his trade.

“He’s put in a lot of miles and he can still do it, but I think it’s also important for him to get a little bit of a breather,” Campbell said Friday. “That’s one, two is that you just got traded. It’s a whirlwind, man.”

Because of this, Smith’s availability for Detroit’s Week 10 road game against the Houston Texans on Sunday night is questionable. Smith, who took part in his only full training session this week and is listed as questionable, is hoping to make an impact sooner rather than later.

“Man, I know the game well,” Smith said. “Obviously I’ve been in the game for 10 years now. I know football. You know, something can happen here in the next 24 hours.

The Lions know exactly what Smith has to offer. The 32-year-old spent four years with the Packers and Vikings in the NFC North from 2019 to 2022, and opposing offenses were always wary of the 10-year veteran’s pass-rushing and run-stuffing abilities.

In nine games for the Browns this season, Smith has recorded 5.0 sacks, six tackles for loss and seven QB hits. He will eventually join a Lions squad whose defensive numbers have suffered in Hutchinson’s absence, but that is expected to change as Smith joins his new teammates in action.

“We played against him, Minnesota, Green Bay. So we know what that is, but he’s tough, he’s violent and he’s got a motor, and then we don’t even talk about whether he might be outside or inside, getting cornered and pass-rushing and helping “just whether it’s straight rushing or running plays,” Campbell said of Smith. “I just think he’ll be a perfect fit for us.”