Speaking to the SNF crew after the Lions' epic comeback over the Texans, Smith revealed head coach Dan Campbell was not only insistent that he take the week off because he hadn't had a bye yet, but gave him two days to go to Florida to check on his house that had been hit by a hurricane.

Za'Darius Smith practiced for the first time with the Detroit Lions on Friday after taking 2 days off following his trade from the Cleveland Browns.

Smith joins a Detroit team in need of an edge rusher. The NFC-leading Lions (7-1) have been hunting for one since losing Aidan Hutchinson to tibia and fibula fractures on Oct. 13 that will sideline him for the rest of the regular season.

Checking in with Detroit Lions fans for our latest SB Nation Reacts survey: What are your expectations for Za’Darius Smith’s Lions debut?

The Detroit Lions opted to sit veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith last week, even though he was ready to play. Head coach Dan Campbell explained the thought process behind that and revealed that Smith will make his debut in Week 11.

The Detroit Lions are bolstering their pass rush by acquiring one of the top targets available at the trade deadline. Detroit completed a trade with the Cleveland Browns to get Za’Darius Smith and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026.