On October 13, 2025, Za’Darius Smith walked out on the Eagles midseason, leaving an already shaky pass rush even thinner, then wrapped it up with a grateful goodbye to his 11-year NFL career. Apparently, retirement did not last long enough to stick. Now he is expected to chase Year 12 with Cleveland, the same team that had already been trying to bring him back since July.

“#Browns are expected to re-sign edge rusher Za’Darius Smith as early as today; DT Mike Hall Jr. is on the mend,” reported Cleveland.com analyst Mary Kay Cabot on August 16. 

Smith’s Browns return is barely a secret anymore. Cleveland brought him in for a Thursday tryout, and unless something goes sideways, he is expected back in town Sunday to finish the job and sign a contract. The Browns have wanted Smith back for a while, and the tryout looks more like a formality than an audition. At this point, Cleveland is not deciding whether it wants a reunion. It is deciding how quickly it can make one official.

The Browns wanted Smith before they ever bothered with Jadeveon Clowney, and missing on Clowney only sent them back to Plan A. Cleveland hosted Clowney in late July, and the reunion looked realistic after both sides reportedly showed interest. Clowney had 9.5 sacks with Baltimore in 2023 and another 8.5 with Dallas last season, proving he could still wreck plays in a rotational role. But Cleveland never closed the deal.

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Clowney kept shopping himself, then signed a one-year contract with Houston worth $5.5 million and up to $8 million. Just like that, the Browns were left scrambling for another proven edge rusher. So they went back to Smith, the veteran Andrew Berry already traded for in 2023 and watched spend two seasons in Cleveland.

Smith turns 34 in September, but Cleveland has already seen enough to know he can still get to the quarterback. He had 5.5 sacks in 2023, then five more in just nine games in 2024 before the Browns dumped him to Detroit for its playoff push. Now Cleveland is considering bringing him back. That says plenty about how badly the Browns still need proven help off the edge.

Smith has been around long enough to know the NFL does not hand out sympathy contracts. Across 145 games and six franchises, the former fourth-round pick has piled up 70.5 sacks, 343 tackles and 10 forced fumbles, peaking with 13.5 sacks for Green Bay in 2019. But by his 11th season, retirement had entered the picture.

Smith signed a one-year contract to join the Philadelphia Eagles on September 5, 2025. More than a month later, after playing just five games, he announced his retirement. 

“I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “Who would’ve thought that a kid from Greenville, AL, with just one year of high school football experience, would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years!”

By then, he had already received three Pro Bowl honors. Now that he was spotted in the Browns camp again, it led to discussions about how he will fit into the puzzle. 

What does Za’Darius Smith bring to the table?

Cabot already dropped a report on what Smith brings to Cleveland’s defense. 

“In the Browns’ attack-minded defense, Smith would have a chance to get back into the eight or nine sack range, and would be a tremendous help to [Jared] Verse, who’s eager to learn from top veteran edge rushers,” she wrote. “Verse is only in his third season and has relied primarily on his power and explosiveness off the ball. But he’s hoping to add to his pass-rush repertoire, and Smith would be just the man for the job.”

And with this, Browns’ search for help at defensive end may end with a reunion. After all, Cleveland’s preseason loss to the Chicago Bears further exposed how the Browns’ pass rush has been non-existent, which they tried to fix this offseason. 

The Browns have said nothing publicly about Smith. Todd Monken covered the quarterback battle and Mike Hall Jr.’s injury on August 16 but never mentioned the veteran pass rusher. Cleveland’s actions are louder anyway. Smith worked out for the team, passed his physical and, according to Mary Kay Cabot, was expected back in Cleveland to finalize a deal. That silence makes more sense when you look at the roster need.

After trading Myles Garrett, Cleveland entered camp with Jared Verse and Alex Wright leading the edge group but did not draft a defensive end or make a major signing there. Mike Hall Jr.’s absence has also thinned the defensive front. Smith would give the Browns an experienced rotational pass rusher behind Verse and Wright.

The need for a good pass rusher was aggravated after how the preseason turned out. Cleveland’s defense gave up 430 total yards, with 306 coming through the air, while Chicago’s trio of Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum, and Miller Moss went 27-of-42 passing.

It’s now time to see how soon Monken makes a decision about Smith.