Vikings got in and out of the Za'Darius Smith experience at the right time
Former Vikings Pro Bowler Za'Darius Smith made a surprising retirement announcement on Monday morning after playing in five games with the Eagles this season. Coincidentally, that means he won't face Minnesota on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, where he likely would've had a significant role within Philadelphia's injury-depleted pass rush.
In addition to the immediate takeaway of Smith not playing this weekend, there's also a bigger-picture element to look back at when it comes to Smith's tenure with the Vikings a few years ago. In hindsight, it's a situation that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah handled quite well, both in acquiring the player when he did and in moving in on when he did.
Smith began his NFL career with the Ravens, then broke out with huge seasons for the Packers in 2019 and 2020. After missing almost all of the 2021 campaign due to a back injury, he was released by Green Bay the following spring. That's when the Vikings saw an opportunity to pounce and add a second star pass rusher to complement Danielle Hunter. Adofo-Mensah, who had been hired as Minnesota's GM a couple months earlier, signed Smith to a three-year, $42 million in March — a deal that notably came with just $11.5 million guaranteed.
Smith was an immediate success for the Vikings in the first season of the Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell era in 2022. He sacked Aaron Rodgers in his Vikings debut and had 8.5 sacks in Minnesota's first seven games of the season, putting him on pace for a career year.
After that, Smith had just 1.5 sacks over his final 10 games in purple, including the 13-4 Vikings' first-round playoff loss to the Giants. However, the popular narrative among Vikings fans that he fell off massively in the second half is misguided. He had 37 pressures in his first seven games (5.3 per game) and 43 in the 10 games after that (4.3 per). Sacks are a fickle stat for pass-rushers, and Smith was largely the same player all year. He finished the regular season with 78 pressures, per PFF, which was fourth-most in the league. Hunter was tied for seventh with 70. Both players went to the Pro Bowl.
In May of 2023, Adofo-Mensah broke up the duo by trading Smith and two future late-round picks (a sixth and a seventh) to the Browns for two fifth-rounders. It was a somewhat surprising trade at the time, but it's one that has aged well to this point. The Vikings used the 2024 fifth-rounder they got as part of the package to trade up one spot for J.J. McCarthy in last year's draft. They used the 2025 fifth-rounder on Georgia's Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins this April. TID has earned a rotational role on the Vikings' defense early in his rookie season and just picked up his first career sack against Cleveland in Week 5.
Meanwhile, Smith continued to bounce around the league after the trade, even though his pass-rushing ability never left him. He had 5.5 sacks and 60 pressures in 2023 on a Browns team that lost in the first round of the playoffs. He had 9 sacks and 63 pressures last season, split between the Browns and the Lions, who traded for him in November. For the fourth straight year, with a fourth different team, his season ended with a one-and-done playoff appearance.
Smith then signed with the Eagles this fall, one day after their season opener, and was still playing solid football before his surprise retirement on Monday.
The summary of events is that the Vikings got a great season out of Smith in 2022, but were smart to structure his contract the way they did and to make the tough choice to move on after just one season. It's an example of what's been one of Adofo-Mensah's strengths as Minnesota's GM, which is moving on from players — even fan favorites — at the right time instead of waiting too long to do so.
And it sure doesn't hurt the Vikings that they won't have to face Smith this Sunday, considering he had 5.5 sacks in six career games against them.
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Takes Shot at Browns Front Office for Joe Flacco Trade
Head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t usually one to engage in trash talk. But with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing a pair of AFC North rivals in the span of five days this week, Tomlin took an opportunity to rip into one of those rivals for helping the other.
While sharing his reaction to the Cleveland Browns trading quarterback Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tomlin didn’t hold back in front of reporters Monday.
“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin told the media. “[Browns general manager] Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area.
“But that’s just my personal feelings.”
The Browns traded Flacco to the Bengals last Tuesday in a draft pick exchange. Cleveland received an extra fifth-round pick in 2026 with the deal while the Bengals received a sixth-rounder in return.
Tomlin added the trade made all the sense in the world to the Bengals.
“It certainly made sense from Cincinnati’s perspective,” Tomlin said while chuckling a little.
Flacco started for the Bengals in Week 6 days after getting traded to Cincinnati. The former Super Bowl MVP replaced Jake Browning behind center for the Bengals.
The Steelers defeated the Browns, who have turned to rookie Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, 23-9 on Sunday. The Steelers will visit Flacco and the Bengals on Thursday.
Mike Tomlin Rips Browns GM Andrew Berry
Pundits could argue it’s never a smart idea to criticize a division rival. But Tomlin doesn’t have to face the Browns GM on the field.
There’s likely to be little recourse to Tomlin for his shot taken at Berry. Although Tomlin could see some pushback in the media for his comments.
Regardless of how one might feel about Tomlin making his feelings on the Flacco trade public, it’s hard to disagree with his honest reaction to the deal.
If Cleveland was serious about competing for the AFC North title this year, sending Flacco to the Bengals is not a trade a franchise should ever make. The Bengals lost three straight contests and largely looked incompetent with Browning behind center.
Flacco obviously isn’t Joe Burrow. But the veteran quarterback will give the Bengals a puncher’s chance every week until Burrow returns.
In summary, the Browns made it harder for themselves to win the division by sending Flacco to Cincinnati.
Of course, the trade makes things more difficult for Tomlin and the Steelers too. That’s probably the source of most of Tomlin’s frustration with the trade.
Tomlin Praises New Bengals QB Joe Flacco
Tomlin’s frustration with Cincinnati landing Flacco also speaks to how much the Steelers head coach thinks of the veteran quarterback. Tomlin was complimentary of Flacco again Monday.
“He can throw the football, and he’s always been able to throw the football,” Tomlin said of Flacco. “Arm strength, arm accuracy. Anticipatory passer. Fluid movement through progressions. That’s always been his game.”
In 22 games against the Steelers, Flacco’s teams have posted an 11-11 record versus Tomlin. Last season, Flacco led the Indianapolis Colts to a victory against Pittsburgh while coming off the bench.
Flacco’s 11 wins against the Steelers are the second-most he’s earned against one NFL team. Ironically, Flacco has been the most successful against the team that just traded him — the Browns.
The 40-year-old quarterback is 18-3 in his career against Cleveland. Overall, he is 106-90 as an NFL starter.
Flacco completed 29 of 45 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns in his Bengals debut against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
