Za’Darius Smith is headed back to Cleveland.
According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the former Baltimore Ravens edge rusher is coming out of retirement and plans to rejoin the Browns after a Thursday tryout that went well for both sides. Cabot said, “The Browns hosted their former edge rusher Za’Darius Smith for a tryout on Thursday, and it proved to be a fit for both sides. If all goes planned, he should be signed by Sunday,”
Smith, 33, retired last season after appearing in five games for the Philadelphia Eagles. He finished that brief stint with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks before making the unexpected decision in October. His return gives Cleveland the veteran presence it wanted last month before turning its attention to Jadeveon Clowney.
The Browns are looking for Smith to strengthen their pass rush with depth and experience. Cabot also reported, “Now, Smith is ready to return to Cleveland to be a key part of the pass-rush rotation, joining Jared Verse, Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire.”
Smith previously played for Cleveland in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and this would give him another run with a team that already knows what he brings. Before that, his NFL path began in Baltimore, where the Ravens picked him No. 122 overall in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Ravens and posted a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2018.
From there, Smith landed a four-year, $66 million deal with the Green Bay Packers in 2019. He later played for the Minnesota Vikings, Browns, Detroit Lions, and Eagles. Over his last three seasons before Philadelphia, he totaled 24.5 sacks, including 10 in 2022, building a reputation as a dependable edge threat.
His retirement last October caught the Eagles off guard. Smith had signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract with Philadelphia before the 2025 season, then played only five games before stepping away. In his retirement post on Instagram, he wrote, “I knew this day would come, but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected,” He also thanked the NFL for changing his life and helping his family.
Now he has a chance to add to a career that has already paid him $79.1 million heading into the 2025 season. For Cleveland, the hope is simple: Smith can bring back some of that production and experience as the team gets ready for the upcoming season.
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