The race to 10 sacks between Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith already has a victor, but everyone on the Green Bay Packers defense is about to be a big winner.
Preston tallied two sacks of Carolina Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen on Sunday, pushing him to 10 sacks through the first 10 games of the 2019 season. Za’Darius, despite being close to several sacks, remained stuck at 8.5.
The two Smiths put a friendly wager on the race to 10. Whoever got there first would be responsible for buying gifts of their choice.
Preston, the winner, has made his decision.
He said in the locker room Sunday night that he’ll be buying Rolex watches for every player on the Packers defense. Not just for the outside linebacker room, but everyone on defense.
Za’Darius said he was planning to buy every player a chain with their number if he had gotten to 10 sacks first.
Preston beat him there and then beat his present idea.
“Yeah, that’s big,” Za’Darius said, smiling.
Preston should be able to afford it. He signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the Packers in March that included a $16 million signing bonus.
The two Smiths were dominant on Sunday, producing two sacks, seven quarterback hits and at least a dozen total pressures. Preston even got credit for tackling Christian McCaffrey on the game’s final play, preserving the Packers’ eight-point lead and securing the victory.
Together, Preston and Za’Darius Smith have 18.5 sacks through the first 10 games of 2019. The Packers are getting their money’s worth, and then some. Now, with Preston officially a member of the double-digit sack club, everyone on the Packers defense is about to benefit.
