Preston Smith ready to bounce back after taking pay cut to stay with Packers
Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Preston Smith knows he needs to be much better in 2021.
A breakout star for the Packers during his first season in Green Bay in 2019, Smith faded into obscurity for much of 2020, with myriad factors influencing a drastic dropoff in production from the veteran rusher.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Smith said he wanted to be back with the Packers to chase another shot at a title, and he did his part – both financially and individually – to help his team and himself in an effort to put his best foot forward in 2021.
“I knew I was going to be back,” Smith said. “This is where I wanted to be.”
Smith took a significant pay cut to return after delivering only four sacks and 26 pressures a season ago. The incentive-laden new deal is tied largely to production, especially sacks. To prepare, Smith said he did more cardio work and adjusted his diet to arrive at training camp “leaner” than last season.
He wants to “make sure I go be me this year,” Smith said.
In 2019, Smith delivered a career-high 12.5 sacks and was a menace on third downs.
After back-to-back trips to the NFC title game, and back-to-back failures, he wants another shot at getting to what he calls “The Big Dance,” and the Packers gave him the best opportunity.
“I believe in what we got going on here…everyone here believes the same thing. We can do it,” Smith said.
The veteran is excited to play in Joe Barry’s new defense. He’s familiar with the scheme from his rookie season with Barry in Washington, and he believes he’ll be put in better positions to cause havoc and do what he does best.
He didn’t use it as an excuse – he consistently pointed the finger at himself for a down year in 2020 – but Smith did mention the impact of a change in roles under former Mike Pettine last season. Losing Kyler Fackrell, who did a lot of dropping into coverage and other roles on the edge, departed in free agency before last season, leaving Smith to handle a more expansive set of roles.
At times, Smith said, he took one for the team and played certain roles – like in coverage – that weren’t always conducive to tallying stats.
He sounds confident he’ll be more of an attacking player in 2021.
This offseason, Smith didn’t hesitate to take the pay cut when the Packers laid out their vision for keeping the team together. And he knows he can make most of the money back: “Handle your business and the money is going to come.”
“I didn’t have a great year, this is what’s needed if I want to be a part of something great,” Smith said, mentioning the freed-up money helped sign running back Aaron Jones to a new deal.
The clever restructuring – Smith will play the 2021 season at a cap number almost equal to the cost of the dead-money hit had he been released – creates an opportunity for the veteran edge rusher to bounce back, re-establish himself in a new defense and make back all his money.
