The Green Bay Packers only netted a seventh-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Preston Smith trade. Initially, it looks like the Packers got fleeced for absolutely no reason.
However, their reasoning goes far deeper than that.
Smith's production didn't match his contract in Jeff Hafley's new-look system. Per PFF, he made four pressures and two sacks in the Packers' victory over the Tennessee Titans but just six pressures and one sack in the other eight games combined.
The Packers had started the process of reducing his snap counts—in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions, Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare played more than the veteran. Green Bay's stance on Smith became clear, and considering the team almost certainly would've moved on in the offseason, bringing back any draft capital makes it good business.
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The Packers' biggest win is financial. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Steelers will take on Smith's contract, including the remaining pro-rated $3.2 million base salary and $900,000 roster bonus per game.
What does it mean for the Packers?
Packers will make significant cap savings after trading Preston Smith to Steelers
It's effectively a salary dump. The Packers are OK with losing pass-rush depth in the short term with the understanding it will help them significantly in the future. Smith hasn't been good enough to justify the contract, and his cap hits were set to rise north of $17 million in the next two seasons.
Per Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports, the Packers will make the following cap savings after trading Smith:
Packers' cap savings for trading Preston Smith
Year | Cap savings |
|---|---|
2024 | $2.02 million |
2025 | $7.62 million |
2026 | $18.21 million |
2027 | $1.67 million |
That's not an insignificant amount of money. The Packers are left with dead cap hits of $12.08 million this season and a further $9.89 million in 2025, but they will absolutely take that.
On top, they receive a seventh-rounder, which makes up for the pick they lost in the Malik Willis trade.
From a football perspective, it creates more opportunities for Van Ness and Enagbare, two young players the Packers hope can develop into consistent contributors. Van Ness has made a disappointing start to the season but undoubtedly needs reps. Arron Mosby, who caused everyone to double-take with a sack against Penei Sewell last week, also stands to benefit.
The Packers will miss Smith's leadership, and while he lacked consistency as a pass-rusher, he provided steady play, especially against the run.
However, they were likely going to move on from the veteran pass-rusher at the end of the season. By doing it now, they add a draft pick and make significant financial savings.