Eagles’ Za’Darius Smith announces retirement after 11 NFL seasons
The 33-year-old pass rusher, who signed with the Eagles on Sept. 5, wrote on Instagram that he “knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected."
Eagles edge rusher Za’Darius Smith posted a message on Instagram on Monday morning that he is retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons.
Smith, 33, wrote that he “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!”
Nick Sirianni said Monday that he learned of Smith’s decision to retire that morning.
“I wish him the best,” Sirianni said. “And I really enjoyed having him on this football team while he was on this football team.”
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound outside linebacker signed with the Eagles on Sept. 5, one day after their season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He had been a free agent since March after spending the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions.
Smith was brought in to contribute to an Eagles pass rush that had been depleted in the offseason following the retirement of Brandon Graham and the departure of Josh Sweat in free agency.
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The edge rusher corps has been quiet from a sack production standpoint through six games this season, but Smith was its most active contributor. He notched 1½ sacks, which led Eagles edge rushers and ranked second on the team. (Zack Baun, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo are tied with two sacks apiece.)
With Smith’s retirement, the Eagles’ group of outside linebackers and defensive ends is especially thin. Nolan Smith has been on injured reserve for the last three weeks as he recovers from an aggravation to the triceps injury he suffered in Super Bowl LIX. The 24-year-old Smith is expected to return to action after the Eagles’ Week 9 bye.
Ogbo Okoronkwo, the 30-year-old pass rusher who signed with the Eagles as a free agent at the start of training camp, went on season-ending injured reserve with a triceps injury following the Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Eagles have just four healthy edge rushers on the active roster heading into the Week 7 game against the Minnesota Vikings — Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Patrick Johnson. General manager Howie Roseman will likely need to make a move to add another player to the rotation ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Still, Sirianni expressed his confidence in the remaining group, especially in the 24-year-old Hunt, “who is continuing to get better each and every week.”
“I like that position, I like the depth that we have at that position,” Sirianni said. “[Their snaps will] be distributed a little bit differently. But I have confidence in those guys, in that group that we have going into this next game.”
Sirianni did not rule out the potential of Jihaad Campbell, the Eagles’ No. 31-overall pick out of Alabama, moving to the edge. The 6-3, 235-pound inside linebacker spent some time at the edge rusher spot in college.
However, Vic Fangio started him out at inside linebacker because he would have more responsibilities at that position, thus requiring him to learn more of the defense. With Nakobe Dean’s return to the active roster and a vacancy at edge rusher, the Eagles at the very least have some internal moves to consider.
"I think we have versatility, obviously, there, and that we have a really good linebacker room altogether," Sirianni said. “We look at everything that we can do to help our team be as successful as we possibly can.
“I’m not going to, obviously, talk through some of those things. Obviously, I think you guys respect that, with not giving opponents any information or anything like that. But really excited about the room."