The Detroit Lions had one of their best seasons in franchise history in 2024. That may sound odd after the Lions got bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Commanders, but it’s true. Detroit finished the regular season 15-2 and secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Both of these were firsts in team history. In fact, the previous Lions record was 12 wins in a season, which they tied in 2023.

The Lions fell short of their expectations in 2024, but it is clear that they are one of the NFC’s most dangerous teams. They will become even more dangerous if they have a strong offseason of moves.

Now Detroit must transition into offseason mode and try to add some reinforcements to an already talented roster.

The Lions enter the offseason with seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including the 28th overall pick. Detroit also has roughly $46 million in cap space to work with.

However, the Lions have plenty of tough decisions to make this offseason. Detroit has a number of young players who are due contract extensions in the near future. It stands to reason that at least one of two of these players could be extended this offseason. This is important because it could have ramifications on how much cap space the Lions can realistically play with this year.

Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, and Kerby Joseph are the biggest names who come to mind for possible extensions this offseason.

Detroit also only has roughly $22 million in projected cap space for next offseason. In addition to some extensions, the Lions may restructure some contracts on players like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, or Penei Sewell to set themselves up well next year.

To make ends meet, the Lions may end up cutting a player or two who they would rather keep. But who could it be?

Below we will explore one Lions player who could become a surprise roster cut during the 2025 NFL offseason.

Do the Lions plan to keep Za’Darius Smith around for the 2025 NFL season?

Many Lions fans would be surprised if Detroit decided to cut Za’Darius Smith during the 2025 NFL offseason.

The Lions acquired Smith in a trade with the Browns at the 2024 NFL trade deadline. Detroit traded for Smith because of their absolutely huge need at edge rusher. The Lions suffered more injuries than anyone else on defense during the 2024 season. The most devastating of those injuries was a season-ending tibia and fibula injury to Aidan Hutchinson.

Smith was not brought in to replace Hutchinson, but the Lions knew they needed an injection of talent at edge rusher. Smith played the hero, logging four sacks and multiple pressures during his half a season in Detroit.

Many fans saw Smith’s production and naturally began to wonder what the Lions could accomplish with both Smith and Hutchinson together. After all, both Smith and Hutchinson are versatile defenders who can line up anywhere on the defensive line. New defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard could have a lot of fun with those two chess pieces.

One argument for cutting Smith is simply saving money. If the Lions cut Smith this offseason, they will save $5.7 million against the salary cap this offseason. They will also save $5.2 million of cap space next offseason.

All of those savings come with zero dead cap, which from a financial perspective makes it an easy choice.

Another reason why the Lions might cut Za’Darius Smith is to make room for younger players. The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with talented edge rushers. It would not be a surprise at all if the Lions used their first-round pick on an edge rusher this April. If that does happen, Detroit may want to get their rookie involved as quickly as possible.

In fairness, Smith’s presence on the roster would not prevent this from happening. However, I could easily see the Lions weighing future prospects as more valuable than short-term production from Smith.

If Smith is cut, it does not necessarily have to happen in the spring. Detroit can enjoy the same cap space relief regardless of when they release Smith. The ~$6 million in cap space they could save is just enough of a savings account to keep around during the regular season. As a result, he could be a cap casualty during final roster cut downs during the fall instead.

I believe the Lions should make a concerted effort to keep Smith for the 2025 season. Unfortunately, he makes a tempting cut candidate if the Lions are backed into a corner.