Za’Darius Smith Finds Love in the D

It was a huge bummer, to say the least, when Detroit let star defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith walk. He’s certainly one of the strongest defensive players in the league, but the Lions did it to save $5.7 million in cap space. Of course, the Lions have more than $42 million in cap space, so it’s still a bit of a head-scratcher.

When asked about why the Lions didn’t cut a deal with Smith during the annual NFL Owners Meetings, Lions general manager Brad Holmes simply said, “We couldn’t afford it. That’s the bottom line. That was my communication with him and he understood that.”

He added, “But we just weren’t in a position to really keep him at his salary, because look, he played some good snaps for us and he made plays for us when we acquired him, so we would have loved to be able to keep him, but we just weren’t able to. But we’ve been keeping in touch with his agent, and he understands that process, so we’ll just see how it goes.”

So, it wasn’t the best answer, but considering the cut was obviously not because of performance issues, some NFL analysts, experts and fans have wondered if Smith’s time in Detroit isn’t over yet.

It may help that Smith seems to have found love in the Motor City. Detroit girls are the best, right?

Za’Darius Smith and Kash Doll at the Pistons

On Friday, April 11, Smith was spotted sitting courtside at the Detroit Pistons game with his girlfriend, Detroit rapper Kash Doll. Yes, Eminem and Big Sean aren’t the only rappers out of Detroit.

The Pistons were taking on the Bucks, and unfortunately, Detroit lost that one. But, the Pistons are still in the playoffs, which says a lot for a team that’s getting a lot of respect in the NBA for its turnaround.

Kory Woods of MLive sent out a photo on X of Smith and Kash Doll being at the game together, noting, “Ex-Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith and native Detroit rapper Kash Doll at in attendance at LCA for tonight’s #Pistons game.” They look cozy together, for certain.

Last month, some clips surfaced via The Shade Room of Smith and Kash Doll enjoying some time together in Ghana. One clip showed them at an event, and another clip captured Smith with his hand on Kash’s shoulder in what appears to be a club. Then, the two took to their Instagram stories to share photos of each other together, which circulated on social media, so these two are Insta official, as the kids say.

Time will tell if Smith can work out a new deal with the Lions and perhaps have a happily-ever-after with a Detroit girl.

Anne Erickson Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter covering the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson