It would take an olive branch and the unlikeliest of reunions, but in an offseason where Aaron Rodgers practically begged to join the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago produced a Pope before a 4,000-yard passer, nothing is impossible.
I'll whisper it quietly because it's hard to believe the words I'm about to type, but we may have entered a real-life Bizarro World where a Packers reunion with Za'Darius Smith makes sense.
Let's rewind a little.
The Packers and Smith went through an ugly breakup. Following consecutive Pro Bowl seasons, an injury limited Smith to only one regular-season contest in 2021, and Green Bay released him in a cap-saving move.
Smith has since taken repeated shots at the Packers and has spent time with the Vikings and Detroit Lions to get his revenge. A reunion feels highly unlikely — Smith left on bad terms, and the Packers may prefer to avoid the headache.
However, there's a world where it makes sense for everyone, so let's explore it.
Packers should explore the possibility of bringing back Za'Darius Smith
Brian Gutekunst kicked off the offseason by saying the Packers must "ramp up our sense of urgency" and need to "start competing for championships."
The Packers are in the business of winning Super Bowls, which means constructing the most competitive roster imaginable. Things remain desperate at edge-rusher, and there's no denying the impact Smith could make to help fix the problem.
It would be the unlikeliest of reunions, but if CM Punk can return to the WWE after bashing them publicly for a decade, anything can happen. And if the two sides are willing to shake hands and forget what happened? It's a win-win.
Green Bay needs another pass-rusher. Recently-released Jadeveon Clowney should sit at the top of the list, but Smith is a proven veteran and can still play at a high level.
Pro Football Focus credited Smith with 67 pressures last season, the 11th-most in the league among edge defenders. Rashan Gary led the Packers with 49 pressures, ranking 34th. Smith's nine sacks tied for 18th in the NFL, which is even more impressive as he switched teams at the trade deadline.
Smith might not love the idea of returning to Green Bay, but much has changed since his departure, most notably the defensive coordinator. He could dominate in Jeff Hafley's system while reuniting with Gary.
The veteran should draw interest from multiple teams, but the Packers provide a mix of significant available snaps, a talented defense, and a team that can make a run. Oh, and he could get revenge on the other two NFC North teams he played for.
Signing Smith would be the final piece to an improved edge-rusher depth chart. He would join Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, and rookie Barryn Sorrell, giving Hafley plenty of talent and depth to work with.
It's a long shot and highly unlikely, but the Packers desperately need another pass-rusher, and Smith is still searching for his next team. A reunion might make more sense than it appears.