GREEN BAY – Before each game, Preston Smith would pull his teammates in the Green Bay Packers locker room into a huddle, not just the defensive line or even the whole defense, but the offense, too. The oldest player on the Packers roster had a hidden talent.

Former Green Bay Packers edge rusher Preston Smith didn’t wait long to make an impact with his new team. Five days after being traded from by the Packers to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith delivered two big plays across 23 snaps in the Steelers’ 28-27 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

When Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and the Steelers front office acquired OLB Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, many began to speculate if this was the biggest steal of the trade deadline.

Smith's departure leaves both a void and an opportunity for Gary and the rest of the Packers' pass rushers. While Gary is ready to tackle an even greater leadership role among the defensive ends, the rest of the room aims to step up in Smith's on-field absence.

When you're not a household name, a request to be traded doesn't get blasted on podcasts or social media. And that's what didn't happen to former Green Bay Packers defender Preston Smith. He revealed

Following his first practice in Pittsburgh, Smith met with the media and revealed that he had requested a trade out of Green Bay—and that the Packers' front office had complied with his request. Kevin Gorman of Tribune-Review Sports shared video of Smith's media session.