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The Cleveland Browns have had a rough offseason by most measures, and the search for pass-rush help just took another hit. The team continues working through questions at quarterback and along the defensive front, made more pressing after trading away Myles Garrett earlier this year.
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New head coach Todd Monken has plenty on his plate heading into the season, and Cleveland’s roster decisions over the next few weeks will say a lot about how he plans to manage it. One name that had been floated as a possible fix was Za’Darius Smith, and for a while it looked like the veteran pass rusher might be headed back to the Browns.
Smith worked out for Cleveland last week as the 34-year-old weighed a return to football after briefly stepping away from the game, and reports suggested a deal with the Browns was likely, though nothing was finalized.
That left room for other teams to get involved, and Smith worked out for the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. His ties to Cleveland made the Browns the more obvious fit, especially with Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski having previously coached him there.
Atlanta won out anyway, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, agreeing to a one-year deal with Smith as the team deals with the losses of Jalon Walker to a torn ACL and James Pearce Jr.
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Sources: The #Falcons are signing 3x Pro Bowl OLB Za’Darius Smith to a 1-year deal.
Smith was in deep talks with the #Browns, but Atlanta made a strong push to land the former All-Pro in a deal done by @ErikBurkhardt of @RocNationSports. pic.twitter.com/GfJVODZD5E
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 18, 2026
Smith announced his retirement from the NFL on Oct. 13, 2025. He appeared in five games, two of them starts, for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, recording 10 tackles, three quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks.
He now enters his 12th NFL season after Baltimore selected him 122nd overall in the 2015 draft. Smith has also played for the Ravens, Packers, Browns and Vikings, among other stops, finishing with 223 solo tackles, 120 assists, 70.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries across his career.
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This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 6:21 AM.