Former Packers edge rusher Preston Smith reveals he requested trade

Preston Smith said he requested a trade and wanted to go back to the 3-4 defense before the Packers dealt him to the Steelers.

Before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the Green Bay Packers made a deal, sending veteran edge rusher Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick. The move gained clarity after Smith revealed he had requested a trade weeks ago, citing his desire to return to a 3-4 defense.

“It’s just what I’ve been playing in the last nine years of my career until this last season,” Smith said in his first media appearance in Pittsburgh. “It’s what I feel comfortable playing in, what I got used to playing in. Just being back in the system is like riding your favorite bike again.”

Smith, who arrived in Green Bay as a free agent in 2019, spent his first five seasons in a 3-4 defense under Mike Pettine and Joe Barry. During that span, Smith totaled 41.5 sacks, including a 12-sack season in Year 1. However, after multiple years of the defense falling short of expectations, head coach Matt LaFleur decided to switch to a 4-3 with the hiring of Jeff Hafley. Through the first nine games of the regular season, Smith struggled to make much of an impact, logging just 2.5 sacks and 10 pressures.

As a result of his declining numbers, Smith’s role on defense began to diminish. In Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions, he logged just 21 defensive snaps, his lowest total in a game where he did not get hurt since his rookie season.

Now, Smith is eager to contribute to a Steelers team currently sitting in first place in the AFC North with a 6-2 record. The soon-to-be 32-year-old veteran said he plans to play in Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.

Meanwhile, the Packers will turn to Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Arron Mosby, and Brenton Cox Jr. to help fill the void left behind by Smith. Even though the move could come back to bite them if guys get injured, general manager Brian Gutekunst said he is excited to see what the team can achieve during the second half of the season.

“Whenever you move off a player like Preston Smith, you’re a couple injuries away from, ‘Man, that may not have been the best thing,’” said Gutekunst. “But, at the same time, I really do like our depth. We’ve got to continue to come together as a football team and play better football at times, but we’re 6-3, I think we’re in a good spot. I’m excited about the second half of the season and to see how these guys grow together.”