Veteran Linebacker Za’Darius Smith Announces Retirement After Short Stint With Eagles

Veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith has decided to end his playing career.

Smith announced his retirement on Monday through an Instagram post, closing the book on a 10-year NFL journey that included standout seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings. The 32-year-old signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last month, appearing in five games with two starts and recording 1.5 sacks.

His most recent start came in Week 5, but his role declined shortly after, with Smith logging a season-low 17 snaps during last Thursday’s loss to the New York Giants. Days before that game, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio praised Smith’s veteran presence and leadership.

“Yeah, obviously the game’s not too big for him,” Fangio said. “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.”

With Smith stepping away, the Eagles will now lean on Joshua Uche, Jalyx Hunt, Patrick Johnson, and Azeez Ojulari as their primary edge rushers while Nolan Smith continues to recover from injury.

Smith’s retirement closes a career marked by consistency, leadership, and relentless pass-rushing ability that earned him two Pro Bowl nods and over 60 career sacks.

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