By Sunday 
A Torn ACL and a Ticking Clock
The Detroit Lions entered the offseason with one big question looming: who’s going to consistently rush the passer opposite Aidan Hutchinson? Fans have been tossing names around for months, but there’s one name that has lingered in plain sight — Za’Darius Smith.
Now, with Levi Onwuzurike officially out for the entire 2025 season due to a torn ACL, that question just became an emergency. What was once a “nice-to-have” has suddenly become a “fix it now or forget contending” situation.
What the Lions Just Lost
Last season, Onwuzurike was quietly one of the more disruptive interior defenders in the NFL, racking up 45 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Only Alim McNeill matched that level of disruption for Detroit — and he’s not even fully healthy right now.
Without them? You’re looking at a rotation of D.J. Reader (20 pressures), Roy Lopez (18), and rookie Tyleik Williams, who’s never played a down in the NFL. That’s not the war chest you take into battle when your goal is to make a deep playoff run.
The Case for Za’Darius
Smith is ready. Smith wants back. Smith has produced.
Last year, in just eight games with the Lions, he logged four sacks and 63 total pressures across the season. That’s not bench depth — that’s starter firepower. The kind of production you can plug in without a scheme overhaul.
And it won’t break the bank either. Von Miller’s recent deal with Washington ($6.1M base, up to $10.5M with incentives) gives a clear benchmark for what it would take to land Smith — a bargain considering the Lions’ current desperation.
Super Bowl Talk? Then Act Like It
The Lions have spent the last two years carefully — and often quietly — building toward something bigger. The division is within reach. The NFC isn’t the gauntlet it once was. But talk of a Super Bowl doesn’t mean much if you won’t make the moves necessary when adversity hits.
Smith was good for Detroit. He wants to come back. Now, he’s needed more than ever.
So, front office… what are we waiting for?