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Eagles' Za’Darius Smith abruptly retires midway through his 11th NFL season, fans left shocked
The announcement comes as a surprise, as Za’Darius Smith had signed for the Philadelphia Eagles last month.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Za’Darius Smith has decided to draw the curtain on his career. The 33-year-old announced his retirement in an Instagram post on Monday. The decision means he will leave the NFL in the middle of his 11th season. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Smith joined the Eagles last month. He registered 1.5 sacks while starting two of the five games playing for the side, reported NBC Sports. Those starts occurred in Weeks 4 and 5.
Za’Darius Smith announces retirement
“I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected. 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,” read the Instagram post shared by Smith.
Smith’s decision to retire comes days after the Eagles' defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, had talked about his role on defense. “Yeah, obviously the game’s not too big for him. He’s been out there a lot in his career. [He] made a critical sack last week, which pushed [Denver] out of field goal range. I think he’s getting better and better every week,” Fangio had said in a press conference, as reported by NBC Sports.
Smith had joined the Eagles last month, and the 33-year-old had 1½ sacks but had a season-low 17 snaps in the loss to the Giants, as reported by USA Today. The report further noted that Smith will end his career with 70½ sacks, which had been tied for 13th among the active players. In the game against the New York Giants, the Eagles endured a 34-17 defeat at MetLife Stadium.
Smith collected 70.5 sacks, 343 tackles, 10 forced fumbles and 16 passes defensed in 145 games (98 starts) for the Baltimore Ravens (2015-18), Green Bay Packers (2019-21), Minnesota Vikings (2022), Cleveland Browns (2023-24), Detroit Lions (2024) and Eagles, as reported by news agency Reuters.
FAQs:
What has been Za’Darius Smith’s latest announcement?
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Za’Darius Smith announced his decision to retire.
When did Za’Darius Smith make the announcement?
Za’Darius Smith announced his decision to retire, sharing an Instagram post on Monday.
For which team did Za’Darius Smith sign last month?
Za’Darius Smith signed for the Philadelphia Eagles last month.
