The Green Bay Packers are trading veteran edge rusher Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Packers are getting a 2025 seventh-round pick in return, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal was announced less than two hours before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Smith, who was one of the team’s big free agent signings during the 2019 offseason, had a breakout season of 12.0 sacks in his first season in Green Bay. Despite never reaching double digits again, Smith was a consistent contributor for the defense, logging 44 sacks across five and a half seasons with the Packers.
Green Bay reworked Smith’s contract multiple times in recent years to lower his cap hit but retain his services. In February, they created $2.4 million in cap space, bringing his 2024 compensation to $10 million. For details on future cap savings, see the breakdown here:
Green Bay Packers' trade of Preston Smith will create:
🔹$2,023,529 of 2024 salary cap space
🔹$7,626,000 of 2025 salary cap space
🔹$18,207,000 of 2026 salary cap space
🔹$1,667,000 of 2027 salary cap space— Ken – Packers Cap (@KenIngalls) November 5, 2024
While the cap savings are certainly beneficial, Smith became expendable after his impact started to dwindle this season. Through the first nine games, he totaled just 2.5 sacks and 10 pressures. Last season, Smith had 8.0 sacks and 45 pressures.
In Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions, Smith played a season-low 21 snaps on defense and was outsnapped by 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness. By moving on from Smith, the Packers can now focus more on the development of Van Ness, a player they used significant draft capital on.
Green Bay’s pass rush has been very inconsistent this season. They will now rely on a four-man edge rusher rotation with Rashan Gary, Kingsley Enagbare, Arron Mosby, and Van Ness. At 31, Smith was the defense’s longest-tenured player and a respected leader in the locker room.
While the move aligns with the team’s shift toward a younger roster, the Packers are now tasked with maintaining stability without one of their most experienced leaders. General manager Brian Gutekunst is scheduled to speak to the media about the trade and the status of the team later today.