Za’Darius Smith has his sights set on first career sack against Aaron Rodgers

Za’Darius Smith will make his debut with the Minnesota Vikings this season, and he’s most excited to make his debut against the Green Bay Packers.

Za’Darius Smith will make his season debut with the Minnesota Vikings, his first season with the team. The upcoming game on Sunday, which will kick off the 2022-23 NFL season for both teams, is even more exciting for the linebacker because he’ll be facing his former team, the Green Bay Packers. He has big goals for his first game with Minnesota.

In a locker room interview posted on Twitter by Alec Ausmus of KSPT-TV, Smith stated that he’ll “hopefully take [Aaron Rodgers] down a few times.”

Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so Smith taking him down would be both iconic and a great feat for the Vikings. The two teams are division rivals, but the Packers typically end up on top in the standings, winning the title in nine of the last 15 years.

Teammates are noticing Smith’s energy leading into the game as well.

Vikings teammates notice Za’Darius Smith’s energy leading into Sunday

Smith’s new teammates are starting to notice his increased energy leading into Sunday’s game, which is important in overtaking the division rivals.

According to Lindsey Young of Vikings.com, teammate Harrison Phillips, who is another new addition to the Vikings this season, said of Smith, “He’s got a different energy already. I don’t know if he just took a three-day nap, but he is fired up.”

K.J. Osborn praised Smith, stating, “We’re super grateful to have him. I’ll probably get some questions in about Green Bay this week. Just having him around, him being a leader and seeing what he brings to the field, it’s great.”

His positive impact on the team is already noticeable, and the Vikings will likely have a newly improved season upcoming.