Key Takeaways
- Za'Darius Smith revealed that he abruptly retired from the NFL after five games with the Eagles to spend his dying mother’s final days by her side.
- Smith’s mother died shortly after his retirement announcement, followed by his father and grandmother within weeks, leaving him “in a dark place.”
- The three-time Pro Bowler has returned on a one-year, $6 million Falcons deal, fulfilling his mother’s wish that he play in Atlanta while bringing 70.5 career sacks to an injury-hit defense.
Za'Darius Smith didn’t retire from the NFL because he was finished with football. He walked away because his mother was dying.
According to USA Today, the veteran pass rusher revealed that painful detail after signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Smith abruptly retired last October after playing just five games for the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving the league with little explanation.
Behind the scenes, his family was facing a crisis. Doctors had told Smith that his mother did not have much time left, and he chose to spend her final days by her side.
Smith later said he “was in a dark place” when he received the news. His mother died that October, shortly after he announced his retirement. Then came two more devastating losses: Smith’s father and grandmother also died within the weeks that followed.
Football could wait. Smith had already spent 11 seasons chasing quarterbacks, moving between teams and building one of the league’s most productive pass-rushing careers. The former fourth-round pick has recorded 70.5 sacks across 145 games since the Baltimore Ravens drafted him in 2015.
Along the way, he earned three Pro Bowl selections and played for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Eagles.
Once Smith was ready to return, he explored a reunion with Cleveland. Those talks stalled over money, but Atlanta soon came calling. The Falcons needed immediate help after losing Jalon Walker to a torn ACL and James Pearce Jr. to an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. For Smith, however, Atlanta offered more than another contract.
“My mom, rest her soul, man,” Smith said during an Aug. 26 press conference. “She always wanted me to be in Atlanta with the Falcons.”
Smith arrives with plenty left to offer. He posted a career-high 13.5 sacks with Green Bay in 2019 and followed that with 12.5 the next season. Even after bouncing among four teams over the past several years, he remained productive enough to earn another multimillion-dollar contract at 33.
