Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Za'Darius Smith (52) guestures to fans prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff
The Eagles' weak pass rush just got a whole lot weaker.
11-year NFL veteran and recent Eagles signee Za'Darius Smith took to Instagram Monday morning to announce his retirement from the NFL:
The Eagles signed Smith the day after their Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The hope was that Smith would bolster the Eagles' pass rush and add a much-needed veteran presence to the youngest defense in the NFL.
Smith, 33, started two games and played in five, tallying 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He made noise in quite a few games, including his Week 5 sack of Bo Nix that pushed the Denver Broncos out of field goal range:
Za'Darius Smith singlehandedly pushes the Broncos out of field goal range💪 pic.twitter.com/zxuIThE8kt
Smith's announcement comes as a massive shock. He never hinted or insinuated that he was considering retirement in any press conferences. When he signed with the Eagles in September, Smith told reporters that he had a lot left in the tank.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that Smith's decision was completely personal and "has nothing to do with the Eagles."
The Eagles' pass rush was already a concern, but it's now in deep, deep trouble. Through six games, just five Eagles have registered at least one sack; Smith was one of them. The only other edge rusher among those five is linebacker Patrick Johnson.
With Smith's retirement and Nolan Smith rehabbing a triceps injury, the Eagles currently have four healthy edge rushers: Johnson, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche.
Johnson didn't make the Eagles' initial 53-man roster and began the season on the practice squad. Hunt has yet to record a sack. Ojulari was a healthy scratch for the Eagles' first four games. Uche has passed the eye test, but hasn't made an impact on the stat sheet.
NFL GMs are likely waiting by the phone for Howie Roseman to come calling. The Eagles need an upgrade, and fast.
