Defensive end Za’Darius Smith was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. Instead, the Alabama prep product is staying with the Cleveland Browns.

Smith agreed to a contract extension with the Browns on Monday, The Associated Press reported. NFL Network and ESPN reported Smith’s deal as two years for $23.5 million.

In 16 games for Cleveland in 2023, Smith recorded 27 tackles, 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits. The Browns’ defense yielded the fewest yards in the NFL in the 2023 season.

Cleveland acquired the three-time Pro Bowler and sixth- and seventh-round draft picks in 2025 from the Minnesota Vikings on May 12 in exchange for fifth-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts.

Smith had signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Minnesota in 2022, but he asked the Vikings to release him last offseason. The Browns reworked Smith’s contract. He got $11.75 million for the 2023 season and the opportunity to become a free agent after the season.

A basketball player at Greenville High School, Smith played football for the Tigers during his senior year. That led him to East Mississippi Community College, and he completed his college career with two seasons at Kentucky.

A fourth-round choice of Baltimore in the 2015 NFL Draft, Smith played four seasons with the Ravens before joining the Green Bay Packers in free agency for a four-year, $66 million contract.

Smith earned Pro Bowl recognition at outside linebacker with the Packers in the 2019 and 2020 seasons as he totaled 26 sacks, 29 tackles for loss and 60 quarterback hits.

But in the first game of the 2021 season, Smith aggravated a back injury. He needed surgery to repair the problem and didn’t play again until he produced a sack on his first snap in Green Bay’s 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs on Jan. 22, 2022

The Packers released Smith on March 14, 2022, with one season left on his contract, and the Vikings signed him nine days later, and he made the Pro Bowl again with a 10-sack season in 2022.

In 123 NFL regular-season games, Smith has recorded 298 tackles, 60 sacks, 76 tackles for loss, 156 quarterback hits and 10 forced fumbles.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.