Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Za’Darius Smith revealed that his abrupt retirement during the 2025 season stemmed from family medical emergencies, including his mother’s terminal illness diagnosis. Smith returned to the NFL, signing with Atlanta after a stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Family Tragedy Behind the 2025 Retirement
Za’Darius Smith shocked the NFL when he walked away from the Philadelphia Eagles just five games into the 2025 season, nearly a month after he signed with the team. At the time, the veteran pass rusher had recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks in a rotational role. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Smith explained that he had received a call from his mother’s doctor telling him that she don’t have much longer to be on this Earth, prompting an immediate departure to be by her side.
“I wasn’t supposed to retire. I wasn’t going to tell the story, but I’m going to tell it. I got a phone call from my mom’s doctor telling me that she don’t have much longer to be on this Earth. I let the team know. Obviously they wasn’t trying to let me leave, but that was the only thing I had left — to retire. So I retired.”
Za’Darius Smith, NFL edge rusher
Smith’s mother passed away in October 2025. In the wake of her death, the family suffered additional losses when both his grandmother and father passed away shortly afterward, plunging the player into what he described as a dark emotional period. He revealed Wednesday to local Atlanta reporters that he didn’t plan on retiring before receiving that initial phone call. Falcons beat reporter Marc Raimondi wrote on X about the sequence of events, noting that his mom passed, then his grandmother, then his father. Smith said he was at his lowest when Cleveland checked in to see how he was doing mentally.
Choosing the Atlanta Falcons in Free Agency
When Smith decided to resume his football career, the Cleveland Browns emerged as an early landing spot. Smith worked out for the Browns after speaking to General Manager Andrew Berry and confirmed that he expected to sign with the team, having previously played for Cleveland in 2023 and 2024. However, the financial offer wasn’t where he wanted it to be.
The Atlanta Falcons moved in because of a bigger need in the wake of Jalon Walker’s torn ACL and James Pearce’s suspension. Beyond positional need, deep personal ties influenced the decision. Smith was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and played college football at Kentucky, and he noted that his mother always wanted him to be in Atlanta with the Falcons because it was close to the family’s home in Alabama.
“My mom — rest her soul, man — she always wanted me to be in Atlanta with the Falcons.”
Za’Darius Smith, Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker
Reunion With Familiar Faces in Atlanta
Smith arrives in Atlanta with an established track record across his career, having been selected 122nd overall by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. Over his span in the league, he has compiled 343 total tackles, 70.5 sacks, 16 pass deflections, 10 forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, carving out a career as one of the league’s premier defenders.
During a media availability last week, Kevin Stefanski spoke about reuniting with Smith, highlighting the comfort level he shares with the player from their time together in Cleveland during the 2023 and 2024 seasons before a trade occurred in the middle of 2024. Stefanski described Smith as a big personality who is going to be heard before he is seen.
“Za’Darius brings physicality, obviously. He’s somebody that I’ve been with, so I have a comfort level with Za’Darius the person. Za’Darius the player certainly brings an element of a veteran pass rusher, but a guy who can play on all downs. I think we were together ’23, ’24. Then [they] traded him, in the middle maybe of ’24. But yeah, big personality, huge personality. You’re gonna hear him before you see him. But heavy hands, good against the run, was an excellent teammate for us.”
Kevin Stefanski
Stepping back onto the practice field has provided the emotional turnaround Smith sought after a grueling year of personal loss. Reflecting on his return to the gridiron, the veteran defender emphasized that the game remains his sanctuary.
“This is my happy place. Come back, play football. I was in a dark place, but, you know, coming out, running out on the field, the fans — not just the fans, man, the joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks.”
Za’Darius Smith, Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker
