The Pittsburgh Steelers made the expected acquisition of a veteran receiver ahead of the NFL's trade deadline, trading for former New York Jets wideout Mike Williams. Pittsburgh then surprised many when they traded for former Green Bay Packers edge rusher Preston Smith,

Following his first practice in Pittsburgh, Smith met with the media and revealed that he had requested a trade out of Green Bay—and that the Packers' front office had complied with his request. Kevin Gorman of Tribune-Review Sports shared video of Smith's media session.

Smith was an outside linebacker for most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, who ran a 3-4 defensive scheme until a coaching change in 2024. Six times in 10 seasons, Smith has recorded at least eight sacks, including a career-high 12 in 2019. In 2023, Smith had 48 tackles and eight sacks.