Za’Darius Smith Makes Immediate Impact in Eagles Debut vs Chiefs

New Eagles edge rusher Za'Darius Smith played his first game with the team on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, making an impact right away.

Now 33, he signed a one-year deal with the Eagles back on September 5 and was added to the roster after the team's opening night win against Dallas after totaling nine sacks and 35 tackles with Cleveland and Detroit in 2024.

Za'Darius Smith’s First Game as an Eagle

He made an instant impact, teaming up with safety Drew Makuba, sacking Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a loss of 11 on third down to hold Kansas City to a field goal in the second quarter.

Vic Fangio’s Take on Smith’s Fit

“I thought for coming in on such short notice, he made some good plays," said Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on Tuesday. Obviously, he can get a lot better too, which I think he will, with gaining more knowledge of what we're doing.”

Baldinger Breaks Down Smith’s Debut

“He's really heavy-handed, can win with power, can win with speed," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said on Monday.  It's been fun being around him for a week. Looking forward to him continuing to develop his role on this football team.”

In total, Smith had a half sack and four tackles Sunday, but his contributions expand beyond his play.

Nick Sirianni Praises Energy and Leadership

“Love his energy, and he loves playing football," Sirianni added. You love that about him. I think what you could really tell on the tape yesterday, and you could tell on the field, was how much energy we had as a football team. I always think that the energy you have as a football team is coming off the plays that you make, but it's also you're celebrating the success of your teammate and the team. I always look for what the energy looks like and whether it was a big play on defense, a big play on offense, whatever it may have been. There was a lot of energy on that sideline because guys were genuinely happy for each other that they were making plays all for the team success and for the joy of their teammates, which was cool.”

Filling the Void Left by Departures

That respect and veteran presence made Smith an ideal target for a young Cardinals team that lost veterans Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in free agency, along with Brandon Graham, who retired. On the defensive line, Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith were both taken in the last two drafts, and experienced linemen like Smith and offseason signing Josh Uche can help the younger players establish themselves in the NFL.

"Anyone who meets Za'Darius Smith, you immediately love the guy," Baldinger explained. He has a smile on his face every day, no matter what. He gave them really good snaps last week."

What’s Next for Za'Darius Smith and the Eagles

We'll see if Smith adds to his snap total when the Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, which you can listen to on 97.3 ESPN with Merrill Reese and Mike Quick, with pregame at noon and kickoff at 1 p.m.