Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Sports

Who won pass-rusher trade between two NFL playoff contenders?

With the 2024 NFL trade deadline closing in on Tuesday, two playoff contenders struck a deal with one another.

The Green Bay Packers agreed to trade edge rusher Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick, according to multiple reports.

Smith is one of the league’s more accomplished pass rushers with 68 ½ career sacks. But Green Bay opted to give more reps to its younger alternatives, while the Steelers – who earlier Tuesday engineered a trade with the New York Jets for wide receiver Mike Williams – found an established veteran to serve as a backup to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Here’s how the Steelers and Packers fared in the deal.

Preston Smith trade grades

Steelers grade: B-

There’s no questioning Watt and Highsmith, who are each coming off two-sack performances in a win over the New York Giants. But as they stand atop the AFC North at 6-2, the Steelers likely wanted a little more confidence in their depth with Nick Herbig still recovering from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the last three games. Smith turns 32 later this month, and his best days are almost certainly behind him. But if he helps keep Watt and Highsmith fresh with some spot work, Pittsburgh is probably satisfied with the results.

All things Steelers: Latest Pittsburgh Steelers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Packers grade: B-

For Green Bay, this deal appears rooted not so much in nabbing a sizable return so much as clearing the way for other contributors. The Packers were bound to move on from Smith at some point after taking Lukas Van Ness in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, and it seems that the staff was ready to make the transition after Smith played a season-low 36.8% of the snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions. This move could test how defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley navigates his rotation of pass rushers, with Kingsley Enagbare potentially also needing to step up behind Van Ness and Rashan Gary. But it was time for a shift, and GM Brian Gutekunst gets something for a player he might have cut in the upcoming offseason as a cost-saving measure.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

    You May Also Like

    Politics

    Bob Woodward’s “War,” set to be released next week, is the author and Washington Post associate editor’s fourth book since Donald Trump’s upset victory...

    Politics

    Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced a plan for Medicare to cover long-term care services at home, a significant expansion of the program...

    Sports

    Not many people expected Tuesday to be the day Robert Saleh was fired as head coach of the New York Jets, including the man...

    Business

    As Hurricane Milton approached landfall in western Florida on Wednesday, the Biden administration warned consumers and businesses of the heightened risk of potential fraud, price gouging...

    Disclaimer: AffluentAmericansHub.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 AffluentAmericansHub.com | All Rights Reserved