By Dianna Russini, Mike DeFabo, Matt Schneidman and RJ Kraft

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued to add on deadline day as they acquired defensive lineman Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a 2025 seventh-round pick. The deal is pending a physical.

Smith, a 10-year veteran, spent the last six seasons with the Packers. Before that, he played four years with the Washington Commanders.

In nine games this season, the 31-year-old defender has 19 tackles, four quarterback hits, 2 1/2 sacks and two tackles for loss. This season, Smith has been more of a rotational piece as his snap count (54 percent) is the lowest of his career since his rookie season in 2015.

Over 10 years, Smith has 68 1/2 sacks with a career-high twelve coming in 2019 — his first year in Green Bay.

Pittsburgh leads the AFC North thanks to a defense that ranks ninth in total yards per game (310.3), fourth in rushing yards allowed per game (90.5) and second in points per game (14.9). The unit’s 15 takeaways are tied for fourth in the league, and Smith provides the Steelers’ defense with an additional pass rusher to spell T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.

In addition to Smith, Pittsburgh also acquired wide receiver Mike Williams to bolster its group of pass catchers for quarterback Russell Wilson.

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How Smith fits with the Steelers

The Steelers defense is predicated upon pressure. In years past, when injuries or inconsistencies made it hard to get to the QB, the entire chain reaction has fallen apart.

Even though the Steelers have one of the NFL’s best starting pass rush tandems in Watt and Highsmith and a nice up-and-coming player in Herbig, a second-year OLB, finding a fourth edge rusher has been a challenge. First, Markus Golden retired unexpectedly in training camp. Then, DeMarvin Leal — a tweener body type who was thrust into the role partially out of necessity — was lost for the season with a neck injury.

Even the top three have faced their injury concerns, as Herbig is still working back from a hamstring injury and Highsmith injured his groin twice (once in training camp and once earlier this year.) By adding Smith, the Steelers now have a veteran rotational rusher with experience. And they did so at a minimal cost, only giving up a seventh-round pick to acquire Smith.

Smith may not be in the same form he was in 2019, but the Steelers also won’t be asking him to play like an every-down rusher in his prime because of the quality depth in front of him.

Odds are, Smith’s playing time will change based on the situation and the opponent.

While Herbig is a smaller, speedier rusher who proves his worth in one-dimensional passing situations, Smith is 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds and will be likely deployed more often in run-downs than Herbig. Prior to this season, he tallied eight sacks in 2023 and 8 1/2 sacks in 2022. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer

What does Smith’s departure mean for Green Bay?

The Packers regularly rotate four defensive ends. Lukas Van Ness, the team’s 2023 first-round pick, is fourth in playing time among that group — playing 41 percent of the defensive snaps through the first nine games. Aaron Mosby, who was an undrafted free agent in 2022, stands to move up the depth chart to the fourth spot (if they don’t add another veteran edge defender), but he has played a mere seven defensive snaps this season. Mosby, however, did register a sack on his third defensive snap of the year against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Smith, who turns 32 on Nov. 17, was the Packers’ oldest offensive or defensive player and a cut candidate after this season. Releasing him after the season would’ve opened up about $7.6 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. Smith’s durability was his best trait, as he’s only missed one game in 10 seasons. He was a core contributor for the majority of his time in Green Bay after arriving as a marquee free-agent signing in 2019 along with Za’Darius Smith, racking up 41 1/2 sacks in his first five seasons with the team.

Yet his production this season was minimal. Among players who have rushed the passer at least 100 times this season, according to TruMedia, Smith ranked 143rd in pressure rate. — Matt Schneidman, Packers beat writer

Required reading

(Photo: Steve Roberts/Imagn Images)