Brad Holmes Shares Where Things Stand with Za’Darius Smith and the Lions
The whole Za’Darius Smith situation in Detroit has been a bit of a rollercoaster lately. After joining the Lions at last season’s trade deadline to help out a banged-up defensive line, Smith made an impact with nine sacks in 2024. But before free agency hit, the Lions surprisingly released him leaving fans wondering what’s going on at defensive end.
Since then, Smith’s been spotted around Detroit, which got people thinking a reunion might be in the works. At the owner’s meetings a couple weeks ago, GM Brad Holmes said they were still in touch with Smith’s agent and keeping an eye on things.
Fast forward to Thursday’s media session Holmes was asked for an update and, unfortunately for Lions fans, there isn’t much to report.
“His agent would let us know if anything changed, but we haven’t had any talks since the owner’s meetings,” Holmes said.
Even though there’s no official word, Smith showing up at a Pistons game recently has kept the rumors alive. With the draft right around the corner, Lions fans are itching for Holmes to either bring Smith back or find a new pass rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson.
Holmes addressed that too, saying there are some solid pass rushers in this draft class, but whether they’ll grab one depends on how things fall.
“Some might go before our pick, some might be there, or maybe we trade back,”he said.
Bottom line Holmes isn’t one to chase a player just because it fills a need. The Lions have made big strides under his leadership, so while fans might want him to make a move, he’s sticking to his careful, big-picture approach. And honestly, given how well he’s rebuilt this roster so far, it’s hard to argue with it.
Lions’ Za’Darius Smith Reunion? Here’s What Brad Holmes Just Said
