The move has been rumored for weeks now. On the day of the NFL trade deadline, the Green Bay Packers finally moved on from defensive end Preston Smith, who was sent to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a seventh-round pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Packers do not own their original seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft, as they traded that selection to the Tennessee Titans in August for quarterback Malik Willis.

Smith, a former second-round pick made by Washington, signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2019. Over 5.5 seasons with the team, he started in 88 of the 91 games that he participated in. With that being said, his snap counts have dropped in recent seasons — going from playing 80 percent of the defense’s total snaps in 2022 to 66 percent in 2023 and 54 percent in 2024. Last week against the Detroit Lions, Smith played just 37 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, the lowest rate of any game he’s played for the 2024 season.

Smith was also notably one of the Packers’ oldest players. With the 31-year-old out of the picture, there are only two Green Bay players on the 53-man roster who are 30 or older: kicker Brandon McManus (33) and linebacker Eric Wilson (30).

Smith will split time with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith at 3-4 outside linebacker for the Steelers, where the former Packer should be a better fit in Pittsburgh’s scheme. A couple of positives in Smith’s game are his edge-setting ability and his ability to drop into coverage at his size. Neither of those traits are premiums in the Packers’ penetration-heavy 4-3 defense.

Who will replace Preston Smith?

Post-Smith, the Packers have to replace a decent amount of snaps in their defensive end room. Will that come from starter Rashan Gary, who has only played 64 percent of snaps this year, playing more? Could it be that they’re clearing the runway for former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, who has played 41 percent of snaps? That question is yet to be answered.

Did the Packers eat Preston Smith’s salary?

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein, the Packers will not take on any of Smith’s remaining salary for this season, meaning that the Steelers are taking the rest of his prorated $3.2 million salary and his per-game roster bonuses off of Green Bay’s books. That money was previously guaranteed, as veteran salaries lock in if they’re on the roster in Week 1.

How much cap space did the Packers save?

Per Ken Ingalls, Packers salary cap extraordinaire, the trade of Smith saves Green Bay $2.02 in immediate cap space, but the biggest benefits come in the future. Getting Smith off their books saves $9.88 million in 2025 and $18.21 million in 2026.