Matt LaFleur Responds To Za'Darius Smith's Critical Comments

After the Packers released Za’Darius Smith this offseason, the linebacker decided to open up about what went down in his last season in Green Bay after he suffered a back injury that cause him to miss most of the season. On Wednesday, Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur pushed back on Smith’s comments.

Smith signed a three-year deal with Packers’ division rival the Vikings shortly after being released. One of the reasons he chose to sign with a rivalry team is so that he can play Green Bay twice a year and prove them wrong.

The 29-year-old said he was “treated bad” while dealing with his back injury last season. He underwent back surgery after playing in last year’s Week 1 game. He then returned for the Packers’ playoff loss to the 49ers.

Smith detailed that no one was asking him how he was doing during his recovery process. Otherwise, he didn’t give many specifics as to why he believes he was treated poorly by the Packers.

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LaFleur was asked about the situation on Wednesday, admitting that he remembers something different about what happened with Smith.

“I respect the crap out of Z as a player,” LaFleur said, via Packer Central. “He busted his butt, did a lot of great things. I think we may have a different perspective of how things transpired. So, I’ll just leave it at that.”

Smith’s Vikings will host the Packers on Sunday, Sept. 11 for their Week 1 matchup. The two teams will face each other again on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 in Green Bay.

More NFL Coverage:

• Ex-Packers LB Reveals Why He Chose NFC North Rival Vikings
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• Josh Allen Has High Expectations for the 2022 Season
• Packer Central: Packers Add Former Iowa Tight End to Practice Squad 

For more Green Bay Packers coverage, go to Packer Central. 

Published Sep 7, 2022 | Modified Sep 7, 2022MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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