Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Za’Darius Smith won’t have to wait long to face his former team with the Minnesota Vikings slated to host the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.
The football gods have a flare for the dramatics with the way this schedule came together. On one hand, it’ll be pretty awkward seeing Smith in purple attempting to wreak havoc on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense.
And yet, on the other hand, the thought of him joining forces with Danielle Hunter and the Vikings defensive front is a dream pairing.
After hearing the news of the Week 1 matchup, Smith took to Twitter to post his immediate reaction.
👀
— Za'Darius Smith (@zadariussmith) May 12, 2022
Few things are more motivating than having an opportunity to beat your former team, and Smith will have a chance to do so right out of the gates.
However, stepping back from the personal storyline at play, this is a game that’s going to tell a lot about the Vikings’ newly-constructed defense. They’ve added Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator, along with injecting the secondary with talented young rookies, including Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr.
Imagine starting an NFL journey with a meeting against one of the top-10 greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Smith knows what the Vikings are up against because he’s seen it at practice day in and day out for the last three years. But this time, Rodgers won’t be wearing the red no-contact jersey.
This time, Smith has the green light to hit his former teammate.
