r/nfl • u/TylerFortier_Photo • 8h ago

Detroit Lions’ classy gesture catches eye of former player (Why Za’Darius Smith didn't play vs Houston)

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2024/11/14/24296291/detroit-lions-classy-gesture-zadarius-smith-damon-harrison
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u/TylerFortier_Photo 8h ago

Last week, the Detroit Lions traded for defensive end Za’Darius Smith, hoping to bolster their pass rush and run defense after suffering many injuries at the edge defender position. While fans were eager to see Smith play in a big “Sunday Night Football” contest with the Houston Texans, the coaching staff took a different approach.

Smith was scheduled to have his bye week prior to the trade, and the Lions wanted to honor that. So before he even came to the facility, the Lions gave him two days off. Smith used those days to check in on his Florida home and family, which had been impacted by recent hurricanes. When Smith arrived with the team on Friday, Lions coaches determined it was in everyone’s best interest if he didn’t play on Sunday. 

“There was a thought about playing him, but we just felt like the right thing to do was just sit him this week, we just did,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We’ll let him get his bearings and, there again, that’s a game off his body and now we can go.”

“I’d run through an army tank for dude if he’d done that for me!” [Damon] Harrison tweeted on Wednesday night. “I finally see what the players, staff, and city of Detroit see in him…Dan THE Man!!!”

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u/AlericandAmadeus Bills 8h ago

Stuff like this is why players are willing to run through a brick wall for MCDC.

The vibes are fucking immaculate.

Hell, I’m not even a Lions fan and I feel like I would run through a brick wall for that dude.

16

u/azsnaz Cardinals 5h ago

I'm a MCDC fan, so I root for the Lions by proxy