Za’Darius Smith was expected to reunite with the Cleveland Browns but that all changed when his former coach in Cleveland, Kevin Stefanski, came calling.
After being expected to sign with the Browns, the veteran pass rusher backed out of that agreement and signed with the Atlanta Falcons instead.
It’s a one-year deal the 33-year-old.
Smith, who came out of retirement to play in 2026, had agreed to sign with the Browns but following that agreement worked out with the Atlanta Falcons, which raised suspicion that he may not be fully committed to Cleveland.
Signing with the Falcons makes more sense considering they are lost pass-rusher Jalen Walker for the season to a torn ACL and will be without James Pearce for eight games due to a suspension.
