Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Za’Darius Smith has abruptly decided to call an end to his career and announced his retirement this Monday in the midst of the NFL season. The former Kentucky player was in his 11th season in the NFL, and had stints with the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions.
EDGE Za’Darius Smith announces retirement.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 13, 2025
He had just started a stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, and his decision to retire following back-to-back defeats by the team is perplexing. Some fans couldn’t help but laugh at the timeline of events.
“Bro spent a month in Philly and had to gtfo lmao,” joked one fan
Other fans were sad about the state of the Philadelphia Eagles at this point in the season.
“can someone remind me the last positive eagles post 💔,” wrote one person in a sad tone
Some thought the problem was Philadelphia.
“Philly’s bad culture made Smith retire,” complained another individual
“Dam the Chiefs really just ended this dudes career…” said someone else
The NFC East is a tough division.
“After them hits from Skattebo he said fuck this,” joked another person
Maybe he’s the problem?
“Man ruined his reputation on every team he’s been part of,” claimed someone
A few fans did take some time to congratulate the player on his NFL stint.
“Congrats on an amazing career, Za’Darius! Wishing you all the best in your next chapter,” wrote one fan
What did Za’Darius Smith achieve in the NFL?
Za’Darius Smith arrived in the league as a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2015 NFL Draft. His best seasons came in his stints with the Green Bay Packers (2019-2021) and the Minnesota Vikings (2022). In that period, he was named a Second-Team All-Pro once (2020), and was a three-time Pro Bowler (2019, 2020, and 2022).
In college, he spent two seasons at the NJCAA level with Eastern Mississippi Community College and another two years with the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC. In 2013, he was a Third-Team All-SEC selection.
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