Za'Darius Smith retires after 11 seasons, Eagles lose veteran edge

ZaDarius Smith, a veteran NFL edge rusher, announced his retirement on Monday via an Instagram post, ending an 11-season career just five games after signing a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith wrote that he is stepping into a "newest season" of his life and expressed gratitude for his career, calling it transformative for him and his family.

Smith appeared in five games for the Eagles this season, recording 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks while starting two contests. He logged limited snaps in the team’s Week 6 loss to the New York Giants. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had recently praised Smith’s experience and said he was "getting better and better every week," noting a critical sack that helped force a field goal attempt to be pushed out of range in a prior game.

The midseason retirement leaves Philadelphia’s pass rush thinned. The team already has top edge rusher Nolan Smith on injured reserve with a torn triceps sustained in Week 3, with a projected earliest return around November 10. With ZaDarius Smith off the roster, the Eagles’ four-man edge rotation currently consists of Joshua Uche, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari and Patrick Johnson. Before Smith’s...