It looks like the Lions and veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith are still in a bit of a holding pattern.
General manager Brad Holmes revealed Thursday that there hasn’t been any new contact between the team and Smith’s camp since the NFL’s Annual League Meetings. At the time, Holmes made it clear the door wasn’t shut on bringing Smith back — but he also admitted the team couldn’t keep him under his existing contract.
Now, even though Smith remains a free agent and was recently spotted at a Pistons game (which had fans buzzing about a possible reunion), it seems there’s been no traction since that last check-in.
“No, we haven’t had any discussions since then,” Holmes told reporters. “We kind of left it at his agent would let us know if something was going on or if things had changed or we had any updates.”
Smith played nine games for Detroit last season (including the playoffs) after being acquired at the trade deadline. He put up four sacks and notched 40 total pressures — nine of which came in that memorable Thanksgiving win over the Bears. He earned a solid 66.1 grade from Pro Football Focus during his stint in Detroit.
The ball now appears to be in Smith’s court. If there’s any movement, it sounds like it’ll come from his agent. Until then, it’s wait-and-see for Lions fans hoping the veteran edge rusher makes a return.
Lions Hit Pause on Za’Darius Smith Talks, Await Update From Agent
