Just before the NFL trade deadline, the Green Bay Packers traded edge rusher to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 7th-round pick. Although Green Bay ultimately decided to part ways with the $52 million pass rusher, who has 68.5 career sacks, the move aligned with his own wishes, as he had requested a trade earlier in the season. “he is happy to be a Steeler,” Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review shared on X, noting that Smith had asked to leave the Packers weeks before.
The Packers had started to reduce hi role on defense, with his snap counts steadily dropping throughout the year, even though Green Bay was struggling to generate pressure on quarterbacks from the edge.
Despite Smith’s reduced playing time and production, and the likelihood that Green Bay would release him in the offseason if they couldn’t trade him, ESPN’s Seth Walder gave the deal a C+ grade and questioned the Packers’ decision. Smith recorded only 2.5 sacks in Green Bay this season, along with a 10% pass rush win rate — below the average for edge rushers and his lowest since the stat was introduced in 2017. His snap count had also dropped significantly, with just 38% of defensive snaps in Week 9.
While it’s understandable that Green Bay wanted to improve their underperforming pass rush and gain some value for Smith before a potential release, the trade’s minimal return has drawn criticism, especially as the Packers are still considered contenders. Many have noted Green Bay’s inactivity at the trade deadline, especially given that rivals like the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders made notable moves to strengthen their defenses for a postseason push.
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