Minnesota Vikings star edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is putting his home on the market.
The 3,846-square-foot home in Eagan is listed as a “coming soon” property and will hit the market for $795,000. The home has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a three-car attached garage on 0.47 acres.
The listing says the home is “only available due to relocation,” which begs the question: Where is Za’Darius Smith going? The fact that his home is for sale doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be back with the Vikings in 2023, but Smith’s large contract coupled with Minnesota’s strained salary cap can’t be ignored.
Smith signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Vikings in 2022. He carries a $15.1 million cap hit next season and $5.05 million of that becomes guaranteed on March 19. Cutting Smith before June 1 would save Minnesota $13.6 million against the cap, according to Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald.
Smith’s 78 pressures in the regular season ranked among the best in the NFL, though his production dwindled in the second half of the season. He averaged 5.5 pressures per game in Weeks 1-10, and then just 3.8 per game over the final six weeks – and he generated only two pressures in the Wild Card loss to the Giants.
Smith’s versatility, however, is something that new defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves. Flores spoke this week about what kind of players he wants in his aggressive, blitzing defense.
“All the things that you always hear, tough and smart and disciplined and physical. I’m big on versatility, guys being able to play multiple spots. In order to do that, we’ve gotta get them coached up in those multiple spots,” said Flores.
Smith fits the mold of what Flores seems to prefer, but at what price? We’ll find out soon enough if Smith put his home on the market because he’s not returning to the Vikings or if he’s simply moving while remaining in Purple and Gold.
