Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-4, 270 lbs |
| Birthplace: Montgomery, AL |
| Age: 34 |
| School: Kentucky |
| Experience: 11 |
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1:47Falcons Replacing Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
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1:25NFL Week 6 Highlights: Bears at Falcons
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1:59Chicago Bears Defensive Identity Concerns
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1:46Bears Outpace Falcons in Caleb Williams' Return
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1:54Caleb Williams and AJ Brown Make Early Returns From Injury
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1:14Baker Mayfield Optimistic to Play in Week 7
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1:55Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love Ruled Out vs. Rams
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1:28NFL Week 6: Top Games to Watch
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2:30Ravens Rule Out Lamar Jackson vs. Browns
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0:25Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. to Start vs. Bears
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1:52Caleb Williams, Michael Penix Jr. Trending Toward Starting
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1:16Can Ravens Win with Tyler Huntley if Lamar Jackson Sits?
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5:43Bijan Robinson vs. Jahmyr Gibbs: Who Has the Edge?
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1:52Penix & Williams Trending to Start Bears-Falcons
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0:32NFL Suspends Bears DE Montez Sweat for 2 Games
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2:22NFL Week 6 Picks: SNF Cowboys at Packers
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0:56
Falcons Expect Michael Penix Jr To Play Vs Bears
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1:19Ravens Take Down Falcons Without Lamar Jackson
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0:47Falcons in Trouble If Michael Penix Jr.'s Injury Is Bad?
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0:59How Much Does Penix Raise the Ceiling for the Falcons?
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2026 Defensive
| STATS |
CMB
Total Tackles
|
SCK
Sacks
|
FUM
Forced Fumbles
|
INT
Interceptions
|
TD
Interceptions Returned For Touchdown
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top Za'Darius Smith News
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Ready for Sunday
Smith (neck) is active for Sunday's game against the Bears.
Smith was limited in Friday's practice with a neck injury after clearing concussion protocol Thursday. The outside linebacker has navigated the discomfort in time for Sunday's contest and is all set to suit up on the edge against the Bears.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Draws questionable tag for Week 6
Smith (neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith cleared concussion protocol Thursday, but his practice reps have been limited by a neck issue. The veteran pass rusher will continue to get treatment over the weekend, but if he's not cleared to play Sunday, then Jared Ivey would be the lone rotational option behind starters Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Clears concussion protocol
Smith (neck) was a limited participant at practice Thursday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith's status on Atlanta's official injury report changed from "concussion/neck" to just "neck" Thursday, signaling he has cleared league concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's game versus the Bears. With that said, his availability for Week 6 is still up in the air due to the neck issue, and he may have to log a full practice Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into the weekend.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Won't play against Baltimore
Smith (concussion/neck) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith entered the league's concussion protocol during the Falcons' Week 4 win over the Saints on Monday. He drew the questionable tag after practicing in a limited capacity Friday, but it looks like he won't clear protocol before Sunday's game. Samson Ebukam (hamstring) is also listed as questionable, so Jared Ivey, Bralen Trice and Cameron Thomas are all in line for more defensive snaps against Baltimore. Smith's next chance to play is Week 6 against the Bears on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Questionable with concussion
Smith (concussion/neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith was a limited participant in Friday's practice as he continues to deal with a concussion he suffered in the Falcons' win over the Saints on Monday. The linebacker still needs to be cleared for full contact by an independent neurologist. If the 34-year-old still has concussion symptoms Saturday, he will not be able to suit up for Sunday's game.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Ruled out with concussion
Smith (concussion) has been ruled out for the remainder of Monday night's game against the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith exited the contest in the first quarter after being down on the field for several minutes. An independent neurologist ruled that the outside linebacker had sustained a concussion, and he will not be allowed to return to the game. Smith will now enter the league's five-step protocol to return to full contact play.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Being checked for concussion
Smith (neck) is being evaluated for a possible question and is questionable to return to Monday's game against the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith took a knee to the helmet early in the first quarter and was down on the field for several minutes, but the veteran pass rusher was able to jog off the field and into the blue medical tent. Cameron Thomas and Yasir Abdullah should both see more defensive snaps for as long as Smith is on the sidelines being evaluated by medical staff.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Cleared to play Week 1
Smith (shoulder) is active for Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Smith was working through a shoulder issue this past week and drew the questionable tag for Week 1, but he was trending in the right direction after fully participating in Friday's practice. The veteran edge rusher has been given the green light to play Sunday, and he should see a healthy workload given the absences of both Jalon Walker (knee) and James Pearce (suspension).
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Looks likely to play Sunday
Smith (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Unless he experiences a setback leading up to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, Smith looks set to play through the shoulder issue that kept him from practicing Thursday and limited his participation Wednesday. With Jalon Walker (knee) out for the season and James Pearce suspended for the first eight games of the campaign, the Falcons will be counting on the 34-year-old Smith to serve as a key pass rusher.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Questionable for Week 1
Smith (shoulder) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith is dealing with a shoulder injury but was able to practice in full Friday, and he has a chance of suiting up in Week 1. However, if Smith can't play, the Falcons will need to lean on depth during Sunday's contest, and Cameron Thomas and Jared Ivey would likely see an increased snap share opposite Samson Ebukam.
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Falcons' Za'Darius Smith: Signs one-year deal with Falcons
The Falcons signed Smith to a one-year contract Tuesday, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.
With injuries and legal problems thinning out their group of edge rushers, the Falcons have bolstered the position group with the addition of Smith, who will turn 34 shortly before Week 1. He announced his retirement last October after playing five games for Philadelphia, just one year removed from a 9.0-sack season in 2024. Smith may not solve Atlanta's pass-rush problems, but he probably represents an upgrade over some of the other edge rushers that would be taking the snaps if he weren't around.
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Za'Darius Smith: Gets look from Atlanta
The Falcons hosted Smith for a tryout Monday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Smith worked out with the Browns on Thursday, and it looked like there was momentum building toward the veteran pass rusher reuniting with the team he played for in 2023 and for part of 2024. However, it looks like the Falcons have entered the mix, as Atlanta will be without Jalon Walker for the season due to a torn ACL and James Pearce for eight games due to a suspension. Smith announced his retirement from the NFL in October but elected to resume his career in the offseason.
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Za'Darius Smith: Works out with Cleveland
Smith worked out with the Browns on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Smith announced his retirement from the NFL early in the 2025 campaign while he was a member of the Eagles, but the 33-year-old decided to attempt a comeback this summer. Smith compiled 35 total tackles (22 solo), including 9.0 sacks, over 17 regular-season contests with the Browns and Lions in his last full season in 2024.
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Za'Darius Smith: Coming out of retirement?
Smith was released from the Eagles' reserve/retired list Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Smith surprisingly retired after just five games with the Eagles last season, but he now appears open to playing again in the right situation. The 33-year-old remained an effective pass rusher during his final two NFL seasons, recording 35 total tackles, including 10.5 sacks, and one pass defensed across 22 regular-season games. As a free agent, Smith could draw interest from contending teams seeking depth off the edge.
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