Za’Darius Smith has impressive Eagles debut and wasted no time making an impact

The Eagles walked out of Arrowhead with a 20–17 Super Bowl rematch win, and while everyone wants to talk about the tush push or Jalen Hurts’ passing yards, let’s not overlook one of the biggest storylines: Za’Darius Smith suiting up in midnight green for the first time and immediately looking like a problem.

Think about this: the guy signed with the Eagles the day after the season opener. No full training camp with this defense. No weeks of preparation. He rolls in, gets a crash course in Vic Fangio’s scheme, and a week later he’s flying around Arrowhead like he’s been here all summer.

Za’Darius Smith impresses in Eagles debut

.@Eagles @Chiefs @zadariussmith plays 20 plays….4 negative plays outta 20. Anyone would take that especially if you were on the sofa 2 weeks ago. Power to Howie. #FlyEaglesFly #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/T5kTRuxraB

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 15, 2025

Smith only logged 20 snaps, but he made every one count — finishing with four tackles, half a sack, and a tackle for loss. That’s exactly the kind of spark this front needed against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid’s offense.

Nick Sirianni on the edge rusher

Nick Sirianni couldn’t hide how impressed he was when asked about Smith on Monday:

“He’s really heavy handed, can win with power, can win with speed quick,” Sirianni said. “It’s been fun being around him for a week. Looking forward to him continuing to develop his role on this football team. Time will still tell, I think.”

The Edge Rotation

Here’s how Fangio split up the snaps on the edge in Kansas City:

• Nolan Smith: 44 snaps (73%)
• Jalyx Hunt: 34 snaps (57%)
• Za’Darius Smith: 20 snaps (33%)
• Josh Uche: 16 snaps (27%)
• Patrick Johnson: 6 snaps (10%)

In one game, Smith already jumped ahead of Josh Uche as the Eagles’ third edge rusher. That tells you everything you need to know. Fangio isn’t playing favorites — if you produce, you play.

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