The Atlanta Falcons worked out veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith on Monday afternoon, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, would be a logical replacement for second-year pass-rusher James Pearce Jr.
The NFL just suspended Pearce for the first eight games of the 2026 regular season, and with Jalon Walker out for the year with a torn ACL, Atlanta is down its top two edge rushers. Last season, Pearce recorded a team-high 10.5 sacks and Walker finished second among rookies with 5.5 sacks.
Smith, 33, has recorded 343 tackles (223 solo), 70.5 career sacks and 176 QB hits since entering the league as a fourth-round pick with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015.
After spending his first four NFL seasons with the Ravens
(2015-2018), Smith signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency and had the most productive two-year stretch of his career. He made two Pro Bowls in Green Bay and recorded 26 sacks (13.5 in 2019 and 12.5 in 2020).
Veteran EDGE Za’Darius Smith worked out with the #Falcons today. Atlanta could use some pass-rush help with Jalon Walker (ACL) out for the year and James Pearce Jr. suspended for eight games. Smith played under Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 17, 2026
Smith missed nearly the entire 2021 NFL season due to injury and he has bounced around a bit in the years since. Last season, he appeared in five games for the Philadelphia Eagles and had just 1.5 sacks and three solo tackles. He's still only two years removed from a nine-sack campaign in 2024.
The Falcons have one open roster spot available after releasing wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson and a handful of others on Monday.
Smith would make a lot of sense, even if he's just a veteran band-aid at this point. The Falcons need all of the help they can get up front if they're going to survive the first half of the season without Pearce.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons work out Pro Bowl EDGE as possible James Pearce replacement
