Three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith has come out of retirement to sign a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday. The deal carries a $6 million base value and can reach $8 million in 2026. Smith, 33, retired in October 2025 after five games with the Eagles and previously played for Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland in 2023 and 2024. Atlanta moved quickly after losing Jalon Walker to a season-ending knee injury on August 4 and James Pearce Jr. to an eight-game suspension. Smith worked out for the Falcons on Monday after reports had linked him to the Browns. (source: ESPN, NFL Network/Ian Rapoport, CBS Sports)
Za’Darius Smith Unretires, Signs One-Year Deal With Falcons
Three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za'Darius Smith has come out of retirement to sign a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday. The deal carries a $6 million base value and can reach $8 million in 2026. Smith, 33, retired in October 2025 after five games with the Eagles and previously played for Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland in 2023 and 2024. Atlanta moved quickly after losing Jalon Walker to a season-ending knee injury on August 4 and James Pearce Jr. to an eight-game suspension. (source: ESPN, NFL Network/Ian Rapoport, CBS Sports)