Quickly, the Green Bay Packers’ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings has become more than just a divisional game. It’s a meeting of scorned lovers: the Packers and former pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith, now a member of the Vikings.
Cap mechanics. A bedazzled pendant. A team captain vote. Many factors play into how Smith, a former All-Pro in Green Bay, suddenly developed into the team’s biggest enemy. It’s impossible to explain without taking you through the road that got us here, so let’s take a look at the timeline of Smith and the Packers’ relationship over the last year-and-a-half to see what soured their bond.