Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Za’Darius Smith announced his retirement on Monday after 11 NFL season.
“I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “Who would’ve thought that a kid from Greenville, AL, with just one year of high school football experience, would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years!”
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The 33-year-old Smith signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles two days before the team’s season opener last month. In five games, he recorded 10 total tackles and a 1.5 sacks.
In 2015, Smith was a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens out of Kentucky. He spent four seasons in Baltimore before moving on to the Green Bay Packers where he would have his most success. Smith registered a 26 sacks over his first two seasons with the Packers earning Second-team All-Pro honors in 2020 and making back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2019 and 2020.
A back injury caused Smith to miss most of the 2021 season and he would sign with the Minnesota Vikings for 2022 where he would record 10 sacks and make another Pro Bowl squad. Smith spent just one season in Minnesota after an off-season trade brought him to the Cleveland Browns. He played all of 2023 with the Browns and split last season between Cleveland and the Detroit Lions.
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Nolan Smith could return in a few weeks from injured reserve, leaving the Eagles’ edge rusher depth chart to feature Jalyx Hunt, Patrick Johnson, Azeez Ojulari, and Joshua Uche — all of whom have combined for one total sack this season.
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