Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Za’Darius Smith announced his retirement on Monday. With the Eagles’ defense struggling, what will Philadelphia do to improve their pass rush?
Za’Darius Smith Announces Retirement
#Eagles pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith announced on Instagram that he’s retiring. pic.twitter.com/4yhEFoMWO3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 13, 2025
Smith is walking away from the league five games into his Eagles’ tenure.
“I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “This game has given me the opportunity to meet great coaches, compete alongside some of the best players ever, and represent some of the greatest organizations in the league. Football has transformed my life and my family’s lives forever — and for that, I’m forever grateful.”
The Baltimore Ravens selected Smith in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Smith spent his first four seasons in Baltimore, including an 8.5-sack season in 2018.
During the 2019 offseason, Smith signed a four-year, $66 million contract with the Green Bay Packers. Smith went on to have his best season as a pro that year with a career-high 13.5 sacks.
Smith followed that up with a 12.5-sack season. After missing nearly all of the 2021 season, the Packers cut Smith due to salary cap implications. Smith signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
After 10.0 sacks in 2022, Smith was traded to the Cleveland Browns the following season. After 25 games with the Browns, Smith was traded to the Detroit Lions, where he spent the second half of last season.
In September, Smith signed a one-year deal with the Eagles. Smith had 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks in five games before announcing his retirement on Monday.
Where do the Eagles go from here?
Head Coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media. #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/8A9Pww5Uz7
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 13, 2025
With Smith’s retirement, the Eagles’ struggling pass rush just got weaker. Philadelphia is one of eight teams to have fewer than 10 sacks.
The Eagles’ edge rushers include Josh Uche, Patrick Johnson, Azeez Ojulari, and Jalyx Hunt. Nolan Smith is currently on injured reserve and will return at some point.
The Eagles’ pass rush is one of the reasons why they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s Super Bowl. The Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times in a 40-22 victory.
Expect Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to search for a pass rusher on the market before the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline.
If the Cincinnati Bengals continue to fall out of playoff contention, trading Trey Hendrickson for draft compensation would be the right move.
The same idea — a losing team falling out of postseason contention — applies to the Miami Dolphins, who could offer Bradley Chubb or Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles.
