The lingering back problem for Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith was known throughout the offseason. He was on the reserve/non-football injury list for quite some time, and with the season opener against the New Orleans Saints rapidly approaching, more focus has shifted to Smith and his back issue.
But even if Smith misses a sliver of the regular season, this Packers defense is built to withstand his absence.
Green Bay has three legitimate edge rushers in Za’Darius, Preston Smith, and Rashan Gary. Ideas of how to deploy all three must be flowing through the mind of first-year defensive coordinator Joe Barry on a regular basis.
Of the three, Za’Darius Smith is the head honcho of the group. While Gary and Preston Smith are really good in their own right, it’s Za’Darius who was second-team All-Pro last season and has made the Pro Bowl in both years with the Packers. Replacing him for any amount of time won’t be a cakewalk, but the Packers have a lot of depth at the position.
Gary is poised for a huge breakout year after being promoted to a starter for the back end of last season. As his snap counts went up, so did the production for the second-year product out of Michigan. Gary had a quiet rookie season and was buried behind both of the Smiths, making it tough for him to carve out a role. But he took advantage of his limited opportunities last year before seeing a much heavier workload by season’s end.
Preston Smith had a huge first season in Green Bay in 2019, posting 12 sacks and 23 quarterback hits. However, he only recorded four sacks and 11 quarterback hits last year. Smith looked sluggish at times throughout the season and lost snaps and time on the field to Gary. All the indications so far this offseason show a much slimmer Smith who has demonstrated the burst in training camp that was seen in 2019.
Nobody in the Packers’ organization will be thrilled if Za’Darius misses time, but having the other Smith and Gary on the edge in his absence helps cushion the blow.
When asked on Sunday about a timeline for Za’Darius to get back to action, head coach Matt LaFleur provided a little context via PackersNews.com.
“I’m not quite sure when we get Z back,” coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday. “He’s injured right now. I know he wants to be out there. But we’re going to be smart with him. He’s obviously a big-time player for us. So, it definitely is a concern.”
While reports have floated about this offseason that “Z” is upset with his current contract situation, general manager Brian Gutekunst made sure to note that Smith’s absence is 100% injury-related and has nothing to do with contract negotiations.
“We worked through something earlier to kind of move money around, like right at the beginning of training camp, I believe,” Gutekunst said. “I don’t really talk about details with contracts, but with this specific thing, he’s got an injury that we’re working through.”
The good thing going for Gutekunst and the rest of the Packers’ front office is that there have been zero other fires to put out this offseason with disgruntled star players or contract disputes so that they can focus all their attention on Za’Darius.
His current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2022 season.
Getting Smith healthy and back out on the field is a top priority for Green Bay. Even with the second Smith and Gary filling in, for the time being, it’s Za’Darius who disrupts the opposing quarterback at a rate that puts him in the top tier of edge rushers in the league. It’s his energy and personality that sends waves throughout the rest of the defense. If he were to miss a big chunk of the regular season, all that depth the Packers have would suddenly come down to two guys.
The light at the end of the tunnel is super bright. The mix-and-match combinations that Barry can put together when Za’Darius is healthy are endless. The possibilities of all three being on the field simultaneously with Kenny Clark up front is straight nightmare fuel for opposing offensive lines. The offense for the Packers gets the majority of the attention, and rightfully so, but that unit up front may be the most rock-solid group for Green Bay entering the season, pending the return of No. 55.
Za’Darius Smith is one of the leaders of this defense and a big reason many project them to be near the top of the league this year. Now Green Bay will have to do the balancing act of getting him healthy and trying to determine when he is nearing a return to the field as the regular season approaches.
