The Steelers are not done on the trade front. Edge rusher Preston Smith is being added from the Packers, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
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With the Packers fielding a number of younger options on both sides of the ball, Smith has remained in place as one of the team’s elder statesmen. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has been with Green Bay since 2019, operating as a full-time starter during that span. A heavy workload should not await him in Pittsburgh, but he will be able to step into a key rotational role. Pittsburgh is sending along a 2025 seventh-round pick, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
Smith reached an 80% snap share twice during his Packers tenure, but over the past two years he has seen his playing time decrease. The former second-rounder still managed to handle more than half of the team’s defensive snaps in 2024, though. With Rashan Gary in place for the long term along with recent draftees Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare, Smith found himself on the trade block leading up to today’s deadline.
The Steelers already boast one of the league’s top edge rush tandems with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Watt has one year remaining on his pact after this one, while Highsmith landed a four-year extension last summer; he is on the books through 2027 as a result. Smith will operate as the team’s OLB3 behind that pair, one which has combined for 9.5 sacks this season.
On the whole, though, the Steelers have not been as impactful in terms of sack production (19, 22nd in the NFL) in 2024 as they have in recent years. Smith – who has topped eight sacks six times in his career – will aim to provide veteran depth on that front for at least the remainder of the campaign. He is not a pure rental, however; the Mississippi State product is under contract for 2025 and ’26.
Smith is owed a total of $27.5MM over that span, and he is currently on track to carry cap hits of $17.5 and $18.2MM across the next two years. As a result, it could come as no surprise if team and player were to work out a restructure at some point relatively soon. For the time being, attention will be placed on Smith’s ability to add to a defense which already ranks top-1o in both points and yards allowed per game.
Sitting at 6-2 on the year, Pittsburgh currently leads the AFC North. That left the team as a clear buyer ahead of the deadline, and general manager Omar Khan has not been shy about adding via trade during his tenure at the helm. It will be interesting to see how this latest move contributes to the Steelers’ postseason push.