Za'Darius Smith has revealed that a profound family tragedy was the reason for his mid-season retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. The 33-year-old defensive end explained at a press conference that he received a call from his mother's doctor informing him of her declining health.
"I wasn’t supposed to retire," Smith stated Tuesday. "I wasn’t going to tell the story, but I’m going to tell it. I got a phone call from my mom’s doctor telling me that she don’t have much longer to be on this earth. I let the team know. Obviously they wasn’t trying to let me leave, but that was the only thing I had left — to retire. So, I retired."
Smith appeared in only five games for the Eagles last season, recording 1.5 sacks. Following his mother's death, his father and grandmother also passed away within the same year, leaving him in what he described as a "dark place."
After a period of grieving, Smith decided to return to the NFL and signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. He shared that returning to the field has been therapeutic.
"This is my happy place," Smith said. "Come back, play football. I was in a dark place, but, you know, coming out, running out on the field, the fans — not just the fans, man, the joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks."
Smith had initially worked out for the Cleveland Browns, but the financial offer did not meet his expectations. The Falcons subsequently signed him, filling a roster need after linebacker Jalon Walker tore his ACL and to account for James Pearce's suspension. Smith noted that his late mother had expressed a desire for him to play in Atlanta, as it was close to his family's home in Alabama.
This move to Atlanta marks another stop in Smith's 11-year NFL career. He began his professional journey with the Baltimore Ravens, who drafted him in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He then spent three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, followed by shorter stints with the Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and the Eagles. In the 2024 season, split between the Browns and Lions, Smith recorded nine sacks and 17 quarterback hits across 17 games.