Za’Darius Smith was midway through his 11th NFL season when he abruptly decided to hang up his cleats. A sudden phone call that delivered an extremely tough news forced the veteran edge rusher to make the difficult call of stepping away from the field.
“So, I wasn’t supposed to retire,” the edge rusher told the media during the recent presser in Atlanta. “Got a phone call from my mom’s doctor telling me that she don’t have much longer to be on this earth. So, I let the team [Eagles] 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 made the decision after only playing five games for the Philadelphia Eagles, recording 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He was still playing at a high clip, having earned his third Pro Bowl honor only three years ago. However, he had his priorities set and left with just 1.5 sacks and 10 total tackles on the board that season. Smith had signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Eagles earlier that year.
Smith lost his mother shortly following his retirement. He subsequently lost his grandmother and his father in a span of months. But as he struggled through grief, Smith received an unexpected lifeline from Andrew Berry. The Cleveland Browns general manager simply called in to check on him. And that conversation led to an invitation for a workout session in Cleveland. Although it went well, Smith and the Browns couldn’t get the numbers to work.
The Falcons onboarded him in the wake of Jalon Walker being out for the season with an injury, and James Pearce Jr. receiving an eight-game suspension. On top of that, he has already worked with coach Kevin Stefanski during their tenure with the Browns in 2023. He also revealed that his mother always wanted him to play for the Falcons. Needless to say, it brought back happiness after his heartbreak.
“This is my happy place,” Smith confessed when asked if he was happy now. “I was in a dark place. But coming out, running out on the field, the fans… Not only just the fans, man. The joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks.”
The Falcons signed him to a one-year contract on August 18, 2026. The deal is worth around $6 million.
Reflecting on his career milestones, Smith noted that he left with 70.5 sacks and 223 tackles. Now that he has returned, he is planning to join the 100-sack club. Rejuvenated and motivated, the veteran edge rusher reiterated how thrilled he is to be back in his element and is completely ready to get to work.
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The post “I Was in a Dark Place”: Ex-Eagles Player Za’Darius Smith Reveals Heartbreaking Reason Behind Abrupt Retirement appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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