Former Green Bay Packers Player Za’Darius Smith Signed With Minnesota Vikings for Revenge Games

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Former Green Bay Packers pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith signed a three-year deal with the Green Bay Packers bitter rivals,  the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. When players sign with former rivals, it really makes you wonder what their motive is.  As we know the NFL is a business, and players could end up with franchises they never dreamed of playing for at one point. But for Smith,  his decision to sign with the Vikings was very personal.

It was all about getting the chance to play a team who treated him poorly.

“Walking past me not saying nothing. ‘Z, how’s your back doing?’ — there was none of that,” Smith said. “As you can see, that adds on to why I’m on the other side. So, I can go back. I get to go back two times a year. … I put my back on the f—ing line. I put everything. And that year three, I was treated bad. That’s why I’m here now. So, I can play them twice a year.”

Smith won’t have to wait long for that revenge opportunity, as the Vikings kick off the 2022 regular season this Sunday at home vs. the Packers. Dunne wrote that Smith will be the one delivering the pregame speech — something he’s been preparing for months now.

Smith began his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens, but it was  in Green Bay where he flourished.  After signing with the team following the 2018 season, he recorded 13.5 sacks in 2019 and 12.5 sacks in 2020 while earning two Pro Bowl bids and All-Pro honors. However, things went south in 2021.

Now he’s out for revenge, and he’ll get two chances at it.

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