At first glance, the Detroit Lions had little choice but to part ways with Za’Darius Smith due to the way his contract was structured. With nearly $9 million in bonuses due early in the 2025 league year, retaining him under those terms was unrealistic. Attempts to renegotiate or lower his salary seemingly failed, leading to his release just before free agency began.
From a financial standpoint, cutting Smith made sense, as it freed up $5.7 million in cap space without any dead money. However, the Lions’ subsequent moves at the edge rusher position raise valid concerns. Their most notable signing has been bringing back Marcus Davenport, which suggests they are relying heavily on the upcoming draft to bolster their pass rush. Given the choice between keeping Smith or Davenport, a strong case can be made that the Lions made the wrong decision.
