The Detroit Lions suffered a massive blow last season when Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury, but they found some relief at the trade deadline with veteran Za’Darius Smith.

With Hutchinson on pace to return for the 2025 season, the Lions could also have plans to bring back Smith. An insider shared that the Lions, who parted ways with Smith in a cap-cutting move at the start of the offseason, could have plans to re-sign him for the upcoming season.

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Lions Keeping Close Tabs on Za’Darius Smith

Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports reported in a mailbag rundown that the Lions are still in contact with Smith and waiting to see what he plans to do in free agency.

“Here’s where things are right now. We know that the Lions and Smith have maintained contact since the release went down,” Payton wrote. “The last time [Lions general manager Brad] Holmes says he spoke with Smith was before the league meetings in early April.”

Payton reported that the ball is in Smith’s court, but the veteran edge rusher has indicated he wants to come back to Detroit next season.

“Ahead of the draft, Holmes said the Lions had left things in the hands of Smith’s agent and that his agent would let Detroit know if something was going on or if things changed,” Payton wrote. “At the BET Awards in early June, Smith told USA Today that he wanted to be back in Detroit. That’s where we’re at right now. We’ll see what happens in the next two weeks.”

Smith has had a relatively quiet free agency, with no reports of interest from other teams or visits. With the Lions opening training camp later this month, it could give the team space to re-sign him.

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Lions Need More Help Off the Edge

Hutchinson was on pace for an All-Pro season when he went down in October, racking up 7.5 sacks in just five games. His injury blew a major hole in the team’s edge rushing group, but Smith helped fill the gaps a bit by registering 4.0 sacks.

Many insiders believe the Lions will bring Smith back. ESPN’s Matt Bowen called the Lions a top fit to sign the veteran, noting that they still need a consistent counterpart for Hutchinson.

“The Lions took only one edge rusher in the 2025 draft (Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein), leaving a need for a veteran opposite Aidan Hutchinson,” Bowen wrote. “So even though Detroit released Smith in March, bringing him back on another deal makes a lot of sense.”

The Lions are looking to rebound from last year’s disappointing playoff exit, as they were bounced in their first game in the divisional round. The Lions struggled against the Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, failing to register a sack as he carved up the Lions defense for 45 points.

Establishing a strong pass rush and finding a competent partner for Hutchinson could be an important part of the team’s quest for a third straight NFC North title, especially after defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left to become head coach of the New York Jets.