The Minnesota Vikings are signing veteran free agent pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to a three-year contract with a base value of $42 million and a maximum value of $47 million with incentives, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly.
Za’Darius Smith signs with the Minnesota Vikings on three-year deal
The deal averages $14 million annually with a maximum average per year of $15.66 million with incentives. And Smith gets to remain in the NFC North division.
The Dallas Cowboys — who thought they had a deal with veteran pass rusher Randy Gregory only for it to unravel over contract language as he signed a five-year, $70 million free agency pact with the Denver Broncos — and the Kansas City Chiefs both expressed interest in the former Green Bay Packers standout.
During the free agency legal tampering period, the Baltimore Ravens verbally agreed to terms with Smith on a four-year deal worth $35 million with incentives that would have boosted it to $50 million, according to league sources.
The deal then fell apart after Von Miller (six years, $120 million) and Chandler Jones (three years, $51 million) signed bigger free agency contracts. That is believed to be a factor in Smith’s decision to not rejoin the Ravens, per league sources.
Smith began his career in Baltimore before signing a four-year, $66 million deal with the Green Bay Packers in 2019. He had a career-high 13.5 sacks in his first season with the Packers. He’d follow that up with 12.5 sacks in 2020.
Injuries limited Smith to just one game during the 2021 regular season before the Packers released him. He played 18 snaps against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. Subsequently, he’d have back surgery for an issue that hampered him during training camp.
Healthy again, Smith is poised to regain his old form now in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Packers will try and fill the pass-rushing hole left behind by Smith.