The Detroit Lions are keeping fans guessing about whether newly acquired defensive end Za’Darius Smith will make his highly anticipated debut with the team this Sunday against the Houston Texans. Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler, was just traded to the Lions on Tuesday in the wake of star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson suffering a severe leg injury in Week 6.
While the Lions are thrilled to have landed an elite talent like Smith, head coach Dan Campbell indicated there are no guarantees the veteran will suit up right away. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Campbell emphasized the importance of bringing Smith along at the right pace.
“He’s got a lot of miles on the body, and he can still do it, but it’s also, I think it’s important for him to be able to get a little bit of a breather,” Campbell said. “That’s one, two is that you just got traded. It’s a whirlwind.”
– Lions head coach Dan Campbell
Whirlwind Week for Smith
Indeed, it’s been a chaotic stretch for Smith since the trade went down. The 32-year-old pass rusher was preparing for the Cleveland Browns’ team photo and upcoming bye week when he suddenly had to shift gears. In the blink of an eye, Smith found himself on a plane headed for Detroit to join a Lions team with Super Bowl aspirations.
As if the shock of being traded wasn’t enough, Smith also had to deal with the aftermath of the recent hurricanes that impacted his home in Florida. Campbell astutely recognized that the culmination of these events likely created a great deal of stress for his new star defender.
Excitement Builds for Smith’s Lions Tenure
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his status for Week 10, Smith expressed excitement about joining a talented Lions squad that has raced out to a 7-1 start, their best since 1956. The former Packers and Ravens standout says he is thankful to Browns GM Andrew Berry for sending him to a “winning organization” and sees a prime opportunity to contribute to a championship contender.
“Man, I know the game well. Obviously, I’ve been in the game for 10 years now,” Smith said Friday. “So, I know actually football … It’s just more of getting the plays in and knowing the blitzes.”
– New Lions DE Za’Darius Smith
The Lions envision Smith seamlessly filling the void left by Hutchinson and terrorizing opposing quarterbacks the way he has throughout his stellar career. The Mississippi State product has notched an impressive 92.5 sacks over his nine-plus NFL seasons.
Campbell Preaches Patience
As much as Campbell would surely love to unleash his new weapon on Sunday, the Lions coach understands the delicate balance between urgency and caution. With the Lions firmly in the NFC North driver’s seat, Campbell is wisely taking the long view with Smith.
“I think it creates some stress that you can alleviate,” Campbell said of giving Smith time to get settled in Detroit while also decompressing from the trade and the hurricanes.
Reading between the lines, it seems like Campbell is content to ease Smith in gradually, even if that means saving his debut for after the Lions’ Week 11 home date with the New York Giants. The Detroit coaching staff will likely use this weekend to assess Smith’s grasp of the defensive scheme and playbook before green-lighting him for game action.
The Verdict
With kickoff in Houston fast approaching, Lions fans will have to wait a little bit longer to find out if they’ll catch their first glimpse of Za’Darius Smith in Honolulu blue. The team has officially listed Smith as questionable, leaving the door slightly ajar for a potential debut.
However, reading the tea leaves from Campbell’s comments, it appears the Lions are leaning towards holding their new prize pass rusher out for at least one more week. Given Smith’s age and recent whirlwind, that’s probably the prudent approach, even if it means depriving the Detroit faithful of the boost his presence would provide against the lowly Texans.
Whenever Za’Darius Smith is finally unleashed, the Lions will add a ferocious defender with a track record of dominance to an already formidable unit. The uncertainty about his status for Week 10 only adds to the anticipation for a fan base hungry for a winner.
