DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions didn't acquire Za'Darius Smith to win just any game.
They got him to win a Super Bowl.
That's why, in an unusual move, they welcomed their new defensive end to town by sending him home. Smith won't report to the Lions until Friday and coach Dan Campbell isn't sure if he will play on Sunday night against the Houston Texans.
“He's been in the league for a while and (the Browns) were actually going on their bye this week," Campbell said Wednesday. “He got the call from us, everything got done, and now we will let him do what he needs to do, get refreshed and get back here on Friday.”
Of course, it helps that Smith knows what he's going to be doing for the Lions defense — rushing the passer. That's the reason the Lions gave up a fifth-round pick in 2025 and swapped a 2026 sixth-round choice for one in the seventh.
“It is hard, especially during the season, to get someone who can rush the passer,” Campbell said. "Teams don't want to give those guys up, which is smart."
The obvious reason for going after Smith was losing star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken left leg in mid-October. Hutchinson is still tied for fifth place in the league with 7 1/2 sacks and tied for second with 17 quarterback hits, even though he has played four fewer games.
If that were the only injury, though, the Lions would have tried to replace his production with the players they already have. The issue is that their other starting defensive end, Marcus Davenport, is out for the season with an arm injury and linebacker Derrick Barnes and defensive end John Cominsky are on injured reserve with knee injuries. Defensive end Josh Paschal, who dealt with cancer during his college career, has missed the past two games after having a benign growth removed.
“We got hit in one position — we really lost our starters and our depth,” Campbell said. “That's why we wanted to try to add someone, but it is tough at that position. It isn't like getting a receiver or a running back.”
Paschal is expected to return against the Texans, and Campbell thinks there is a good chance Smith will get some snaps.
“We'll see how many packages and how much of the playbook we can give to him, but we will certainly have a place to use him,” he said. “We'll just see how it looks when he gets here on Friday.”
The Lions will also get wide receiver Jameson Williams back after his two-game suspension.
“I've learned to be smarter and move smarter in certain situations,” he said. “It's big to know how much faith Coach has in me.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Dave Hogg, The Associated Press
