"Can't wait to see that look on Aaron Rodgers’ face" - Former Packers player relishes prospect of facing old teammates
Aaron Rodgers' contract situation had been up in the air for quite some time. Hours before the 2021 NFL Draft took place, reports spread like wildfire of the Green Bay Packers quarterback, apparently, looking to move on to greener pastures.
While that dragged out for over a year, the fate of several other Packers players hung in the balance as well. Among them was Za'Darius Smith. The linebacker was set to run out his contract at the end of the 2021 NFL season.
With the Packers ultimately managing to keep hold of Rodgers on a new bumper deal, Smith was a victim of the cap hit incurred. Joining division rivals Minnesota Vikings as a free agent, Smith, while appearing on the Rich Eisen Show talked about how he is relishing the prospect of meeting his former teammates.
"I can’t wait to get a chance to face them the first game and see that look on Aaron Rodgers’ face when he sees me on the other side of the ball."
The veteran linebacker, though, said that he would not be treating it as some sort of a revenge game. Instead, it is the thrill of lining up against his former teammates that excites him.
"No revenge. Just an excitement game. I’d been there for a while and not being able to go hard and tackle the running back there, Aaron Jones, or being able to hit Aaron Rodgers. Just to get the opportunity to do that and, at the end of the day, laugh at it because it’s all going to be a game. It’s all fun at the end of the day."
Smith not holding any grudges against Aaron Rodgers or Packers
Players like Smith and star wideout Davante Adams are believed to be casualties of the massive cap hit incurred due to Rodgers' new contract. But the linebacker maintains that he holds no hard feelings against the Packers quarterback.
"It was more my contract situation. Something they wanted to do and I didn’t feel comfortable doing it. My coaches had left so they was like, ‘Okay, we’re just going to release you. Not going to hold you anywhere you don’t want to be anymore'."
Before the two-time Pro Bowler finally ended up signing with the Vikings, he was close to returning to the franchise that drafted him all the way back in 2015 - the Baltimore Ravens.
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The Ravens had reportedly put in an offer for their former player, but in the end, Smith said that the homecoming was just something that wasn't meant to be.
"It would have been good to go back to Baltimore, but things wasn’t what it was supposed to be. That’s why I’m here now with the Vikings and just happy to be here with another opportunity to play football.”
With Smith now set to feature alongside fellow two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Danielle Hunter, the Packers could end up having a tough time when facing their division rivals.