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    • How much did Za’Darius Smith cost jersey no. 99 of the Detroit Lions?
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    How much did Za’Darius Smith cost jersey no. 99 of the Detroit Lions?

    Online Niel Posted on

    When The Detroit Lions got it defensive end Za’Darius Smith in a trade with the NFL on Tuesday, the Greenville High School graduate wanted to keep the number he wore with the Cleveland Browns.

    A deal with another Alabama prep made that happen.

    “They were like, ‘Man, you’ve got three options.'” Smith said about picking a jersey number in Detroit. “You can get any number in the 70s, any numbers in the 80s, and I think it was 60. And I said, ‘No way.’ I said, “Who has number 99?” And they told me who he was, I looked up his number and called him very quickly. Thanks to him, a guy from Alabama, man – Tuscaloosa – got a chance to talk to him for a little while and I had to pay a little bit, but it’s all good. Got number 99 now.”

    Defensive tackles Brodrick Martin wore number 99 for the Lions. The former Northridge High School standout is now No. 96 after a financial deal with Smith.

    “Current rate?” Smith said Friday. “There are three zeros at the end of it. I’m not going to tell you the exact price, but it’s definitely going to be good money. Put some gas in his car, for sure.”

    Martin was able to change numbers during the season because he did not play in the 2024 campaign. If Martin had been on the field, NFL rules would have prohibited him from changing numbers without changing teams (although exceptions were made).

    RELATED: WHAT HAD AMARI COOPER TO CHANGE JERSEY NUMBERS WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS?

    A defensive end and tight end at Northridge in Tuscaloosa who also played basketball and threw for the Jaguars’ track team, Martin began his college football career in 2017 with a redshirt season at North Alabama. Over the next three seasons at UNA, Martin started every game before transferring to Western Kentucky for two seasons.

    A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Martin did not play this season because he suffered a knee injury in the Lions’ preseason finale. Martin remains on injured reserve but returned to practice on Oct. 30, opening a 21-day window for Detroit to return him to the active roster or place him on IR for the remainder of the season.

    “It’s hard to say,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Nov. 1 about plans for Martin in 2024. “I mean, it was good to see him out there. It looks like it’s fresh. He’s definitely got fresh legs, so really, that’s all I can give you. I mean, it’s good to get it out there. It’s good to continue his development, to be able to go against our only O-line. He goes against those guys and then it’s just a matter of, Man, do we feel like after these three weeks he can help us? Do we feel that he can really help us? Is it healthy enough to help? How does he compare to the rest of the guys on the roster, even the practice squad? That will be it.”

    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 finished his college career with two seasons at Kentucky before entering the NFL as a fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft.

    Detroit acquired Smith after the Lions’ leading rusher, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, suffered a broken leg in a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 13. The Lions had none in Sunday’s 24-14 win over the Green Bay Packers.

    Smith has five sacks for the Browns this season and 65 in his career.

    Detroit sent a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for Smith and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

    The trade moved Smith from the 2-7 Browns to the 7-1 Lions.

    “Thank them, man, for only having me for two years — well, a year and a half — and trading me here to basically go do something great.” Smith said of trade.

    Detroit plays the Houston Texans on Sunday at 7:20 PM CST at NRG Stadium in Houston. NBC will televise the game.

    On Friday, Smith said he didn’t know if the Lions would let him play after a day of practice.

    “I hope you can get there this Sunday.” Smith said.

    Detroit Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin watches from the sidelines after suffering a knee injury during an NFL preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    Detroit Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin watches from the sideline after suffering a knee injury during an NFL preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 24, 2024, at Ford Field in Detroit.(AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

    FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S NFL COVERAGE, VISIT OUR NFL PAGE

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

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