“I can’t wait to get a chance to see that look on Aaron Rodger’s face”: Vikings LB Za’Darius Smith cannot wait to hit Packers QB
Follow Us
The Green Bay Packers have made a lot of moves this offseason, some of them are the most controversial and shocked the entire league. The team traded star wideout Davante Adams and LB Za’Darius Smith to the Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings respectively. The Packers have also extended corner Jaire Alexander for four years and $84 million which makes him the highest-paid corner in the entire league.
Ahead of the upcoming season, former Packers Linebacker Za’Darius Smith came on the Rich Eisen Show to give us all a preview of what we can expect to see from him in a Viking uniform. Smith previewed his return to Green Bay and called it a “It’s gonna be a party, it’s gonna be a big show.”
I can’t wait to get a chance to face them”: Za’Darius Smith on facing the Packers
Smith spoke on the game against the Packers and what led him to be traded, “I wanted to be in Green Bay but some things didn’t go right upstairs but I want to appreciate them for giving me an opportunity as well to showcase and lead and be the guy that I was,” he said. Speaking on the trade that led him to Green Bay in the first place where the Packers got him by trading away Clay Matthews who was an active leader in the locker room of the team, Smith was thankful that the Packers took a chance on him as “Clay Matthews was a big name guy and when I was coming in they was like who is this guy?”
Smith looks forward to returning to Green Bay more than ever now as he can finally sack Aaron Rodgers and hit the QB. “I can’t wait to get a chance to face them the first game and see that look on Aaron Rodgers when he sees me on the other side of the ball.” Speaking on the relationship that he shares with Rodgers, it’d just be a regular “It’s good to see you but not at practice,” kind of a situation but he is more excited with the fact that he can throw the QB around unlike at practice where the QB is untouchable.
Za’Darius Smith highlighted the reason why he left Green Bay in the first place, “My contract situation, something they wanted to do and I didn’t feel comfortable doing it and my coaches had left so they was like okay, we’re gonna release you. I mean I wanted to be there but it just didn’t work out.”
He remains grateful to the Packers organization, “Everybody is good upstairs, I want to thank them for giving me the opportunity as when I was going to Green Bay didn’t nobody know who Za’Darius Smith was but those people upstairs in a good way put me in a situation to show my talent and become the best outside pass rusher/linebacker in this league but I cannot wait to see them in the first week,” Smith was quoted as saying.
He is also happy for his former teammate Davante Adams who recently signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and reunited with his former college QB Derek Carr, “Tae had been with them for 9 years and he had an opportunity to go back and play with his QB from college, I don’t blame him, he probably wanted something fresh and something new, I wish nothing but the best for him.”
Speaking on the uncertainty that loomed around Aaron Rodger’s return this season and how that impacted the mindset of the players on the defensive side of the ball, Smith had this to say, “That’s the scary party knowing when you got a defense as good as we were and knowing that we possibly had a quarterback who wasn’t coming back, that was kind of scary but for me, I was not able to perform because I had this small injury and I went through this year. I’m happy he’s(Aaron Rodgers) back.”
When asked if there was any revenge factor in his return to Green Bay, “No revenge, it’s gonna be more of an excitement game, I’ve been there for a while, and to be able to go hard and tackle the RB Aaron Jones and hit Aaron Rodgers and sack him, and then laugh at it.”
Smith and the Vikings are looking to become the kings of the north by taking it “one day at a time,” and their new coach Kevin O’ Connell who is young is all about the players and cares about how they feel. Since he is coming from the Rams after winning a Super Bowl chip, Smith believes he knows what it takes to have a winning season as well.
Also read: “I hate attention”: Joe Burrow says media attention makes him extremely ANXIOUS
Stay Updated!
Sumedh Joshi
(2340 Articles Published)