Linebacker Preston Smith gave the Green Bay Packers five and a half good years, but the franchise apparently severed the relationship at the perfect time.
Green Bay flipped Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a seventh-round pick ahead of the mid-season trade deadline in 2024 after inking him to a four-year deal worth $52 million in March 2022. That contract initially ran through the 2026 campaign.
However, Pittsburgh has officially bailed on its Smith experiment as of Friday, February 14, according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“Steelers have released LB Preston Smith, whom they acquired before the trade deadline from the Green Bay Packers,” Schefter wrote on X.
Smith, now 32 years old, will hit unrestricted free agency in March. He has tallied 74 tackles for loss and 70.5 sacks over the course of his 10-year NFL career, though he managed just 4.5 total sacks last season across his stints in Pittsburgh and Green Bay.
Smith began his career with the franchise now known as the Washington Commanders, where he played four seasons and amassed 24.5 sacks.
