Eagles Signing Edge Rusher To One-Year Deal, Place Ben VanSumeren On IR
John Maakaron/Sports Illustrated
It only took one game for the Eagles to make a move at the available free agents.
The Eagles have announced that they have agreed to a contract with outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith. It’s a one-year deal for Smith that can be worth up to $9 million in incentives.
The move comes just one day after the Eagles’ first game of the 2025 season, where they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 24-20. In that game, the Eagles’ pass rush struggled throughout the night, as they did not record a single sack and recorded just one QB hit.
Philadelphia went into that game with just four active edge rushers, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche, and, elevated from the Practice Squad, Patrick Johnson. On top of that, they were without star defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who was ejected six seconds into the game after spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Smith recorded nine sacks last season with the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns, 35 tackles, and one pass deflection. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler and former second-team all-pro, and has totaled 69 sacks and 333 tackles in his entire career.
While Smith will not likely be the double-digit sack player that he has been in the past, he’ll provide a major veteran presence that the Eagles’ defensive line and defense overall have lacked.
To make room for Smith, the Eagles placed fullback Ben VanSumeren on injured reserve. VanSumeren suffered a knee injury on the opening kickoff of last night’s game and will likely be out for the entirety of the 2025 season.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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