Eagles bolster pass rush, sign Za’Darius Smith after Week 1 win over the Cowboys

Drew Smith
September 5, 2025
Eagles
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The Eagles wasted no time strengthening their pass rush. On Friday afternoon, they signed veteran defensive end Za’Darius Smith, placing fullback Ben VanSumeren on injured reserve to make room. VanSumeren went down with a knee injury on the opening kickoff of Thursday night’s season-opening win over the Cowboys.

Eagles bolster pass rush, sign Za’Darius Smith

Za'Darius Smith had nine sacks last season and brings 69 career sacks to Philadelphia.

Philly’s next game is a Super Bowl rematch vs. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. https://t.co/hAkGZyu1VU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2025

Za’Darius Smith isn’t just another depth piece.

The 32-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler and a former second-team All-Pro who has produced everywhere he’s gone. He split last season between the Browns and Lions, racking up nine sacks, 34 QB pressures, and a 16.7% pressure rate in just eight games with Detroit. That pressure rate ranked fifth in the league, according to Next Gen Stats.

Za'Darius Smith gets a sack in his first game with the @Lions!

📺: #JAXvsDET on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/f1baYOiUxO
— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024

At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, Smith brings a proven résumé with 69 career sacks, 173 QB hits, and 85 tackles for loss across 140 regular-season games. He’s had three double-digit sack seasons, including a career-best 13.5 with Green Bay in 2019, and has been part of two No. 1-ranked defenses.

For the Eagles, this move gives defensive coordinator Vic Fangio another weapon to rotate with a young edge group headlined by Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. Add in Joshua Uche, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Azeez Ojulari, and suddenly the Birds have one of the deepest pass rush rotations in the league.

Za’Darius Smith has already shown he can thrive in multiple systems, and now he’s tasked with making life even more miserable for NFC East quarterbacks. The Eagles didn’t exactly need more firepower up front, but they just got it anyway.