CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are 2-7 this season after Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and with the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, the Browns have become sellers, sending the defensive end Za’Darius Smith in a trade with the Detroit Lions, a league source confirmed.

In exchange for Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick, the Browns will receive a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.

The Browns acquired Smith in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings before the 2023 season, receiving the pass rusher, a 2025 6th round pick and a 2025 7th round pick while sending the Vikings a 2024 5th round pick and a 5th round pick in 2025.

Last season with the Browns, Smith played in 16 games, recording 27 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, one forced fumble and three passes defensed. His contributions on the opposite line to defensive end Myles Garrett helped Garrett during his Defensive Player of the Year award-winning season.

In nine games this season, Smith has already made 23 total tackles, five sacks and 24 quarterback pressures. Losing games was frustrating for the entire team, including Smith, who had never been part of a team that started its season 2-7.

The 32-year-old passer had attracted interest from teams around the league looking to bolster their defense with a proven veteran. As the Browns’ season fell apart, Cleveland opted to acquire draft picks with the future in mind, and Smith landed with a Super Bowl contender.

After Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, Smith was in the locker room, and many on the team had heard rumors that a trade involving him was imminent. Smith coated his teammates and walked out of the locker room, refusing to speak to the media before leaving.

His teammates seemed to insinuate that they knew a trade was happening when asked about Smith, giving the passer plenty of praise for the player and person he has been during his time with the Browns.

“Z’s my brother, man. He matters a lot. Everybody’s going to feel it, if he leaves here it’s going to hurt,” safety Juan Thornhill said after the game. “He’s going back. He brings a lot of energy. He is one of the leaders of our defense. But I only wish him the best. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be hard to lose a guy like that.

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward said trading for Smith in 2023 was one of his favorite moves by the organization, highlighting his presence both on and off the field.

“I love having Za’Darius on the field with me. He was one of my favorite additions to the team when he arrived,” Ward said. “He’s a great player and a great guy in the locker room and he really appreciates Za’Darius, the player he is and the guy he is, he means a lot.”

The Browns team won’t look the same coming out of the bye week, but the players are still looking for wins with their return to action in the Week 11 matchup against the New York Saints. Orleans.