For the second straight season, the Green Bay Packers shipped a veteran defensive player at the trade deadline to an AFC team for draft capital and to shed salary cap.
This year it was Preston Smith.
Smith's successful run in Green Bay ended Tuesday when the Packers traded him at the deadline to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick.
Smith, a defensive end, has been a key contributor to the Packers defense over his tenure and leaves with 44 sacks during his time with the franchise — the sixth most in team history.