The Atlanta Falcons made a necessary move to address their defense losing key players, reportedly signing three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Za'Darius Smith to a one-year deal. NFL insider Jordan Schultz was among those reporting the news and indicated that the Cleveland Browns were also attempting to sign Smith, but he ultimately went with the Falcons. The 33-year-old has played in the NFL since 2015, when he first joined the Baltimore Ravens.
He spent last season playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, but only appeared in five games, recording 10 combined tackles and 1.5 sacks. The Falcons are Smith's seventh team now in his career, with additional stops in Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, and Cleveland, whom he also tried out for this offseason. During the 2024 season, Smith was traded from the Browns to the Lions.
Between the two teams that season, he started 16 games and recorded 35 total tackles and nine sacks. Smith last made the Pro Bowl in 2022 with the Vikings. More news: Micah Parsons Predicts NFC North Standings Ahead of Packers Season The Falcons were ranked about in the middle of the league in yards allowed to opponents last season, giving up an average of 326.6 per game.
They allowed 23.6 points per game to opponents, which also ranked their defense around the middle of the league. And they nearly reached the postseason after the 2025 season, but ended in a three-way tie for the division with the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With all three finishing 8-9, the tiebreaker went to Carolina, which put them in the playoffs.
They definitely can use help on their pass rushing. They lost No. 15 pick Jalon Walker to a torn ACL, and former No. 26 pick James Pearce Jr. was suspended eight games for violating the league's personal conduct policy. After preseason games this month against the Colts and Dolphins, Atlanta gets their regular season started on Sunday, Sept. 13 on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
More news: Giants’ Cam Skattebo Gets Honest About Return After Season-Ending Injury For more about the Atlanta Falcons and NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.
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