GREEN BAY, Wis. - Za'Darius Smith managed to get himself ready for the Green Bay Packers' season opener after battling a back injury throughout training camp, but the Packers are shutting him down after he played only 18 snaps in the loss to the New Orleans Saints.
They will place Smith on injured reserve, coach Matt LaFleur said Friday. It means he will miss a minimum of three games before he's eligible to return but could miss even more time than that.
The Packers weighed keeping him on the active roster and limiting his playing time but instead decided to hold him out until at least the Oct.