Falcons sign pass rusher to fill void of James Pearce Jr., Jalon Walker

There's a reunion in Hotlanta. The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent pass rusher Za'Darius Smith, per reports. Smith was most recently a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, and he reunites with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was hired by Atlanta this offseason. A three-time Pro-Bowler, Smith played under Stefanski in Cleveland in 2023 and 2024, notching a total of 10.5 sacks across 17 games before a midseason trade sent him to Detroit in 2024. In the midst of the 2025 season, Smith called it a career, officially announcing his retirement via an Instagram post. That retirement lasted less than a year. "I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected," Smith wrote in the caption to an Instagram post. "Who would’ve thought that a kid from Greenville, AL, with just one year of high school football experience, would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years!" This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Falcons sign pass rusher to fill void of James Pearce Jr., Jalon Walker