Za’Darius Smith joined the Browns on a one-year agreement last offseason. He will remain in Cleveland moving forward rather than testing the market.
The veteran edge rusher has agreed to a new deal with the Browns, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. The two-year pact has a base value of $23.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. Smith can earn up to $25MM on his next contract.
Meanwhile, the Browns have also re-upped defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Hurst will receive up to $3.2MM on his one-year deal.
After compiling at least 10 sacks in his three most-recent healthy seasons, Smith caught on with the Browns for the 2023 campaign. He didn’t put up the same numbers in Cleveland but was still productive, finishing with 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 20 QB hits.
While the counting stats dropped, Pro Football Focus still considered Smith one of the best edge rushers in the league. The 31-year-old finished the season ranked 16th among 112 qualifying edge defenders, with the site only knocking him for the run defense. The Browns were also clearly happy with Smith’s production, as the team can now pencil him into the depth chart for the next two years.
The former fourth-round pick spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Ravens before a three-year stint in Green Bay that saw him earn a pair of Pro Bowl nods. He spent the 2022 campaign in Minnesota.
Hurst also emerged as a dependable defender during his first season in Cleveland. The defensive tackle got into 13 games for the Browns, finishing with 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He didn’t start a game last season but still managed to appear in close to 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.