Philadelphia Eagles Pass Rusher Za’Darius Smith Retires Midseason Leaving Hole In Already Bad Pass Rush

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00:00Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Zadarius Smith retires midseason leaving hole in already bad

00:05pass rush. It isn't quite time to hit the panic button for the defending Super Bowl champion

00:10Philadelphia Eagles. But alarm bells are certainly ringing, and they just got louder on Monday

00:16morning. The Eagles sit atop the NFC East at 4-2, but have lost their last two games including a

00:22surprise upset at the hands of the New York Giants. One of Philadelphia's many struggles in 2025

00:28has been its pass rush. The Eagles rank 25th in the league with just nine sacks through six games,

00:35and things appear to be getting worse. Zadarius Smith announces retirement after five games with

00:41Philadelphia Eagles. With young edge rusher Nolan Smith on the injured reserve list as he recovers

00:46from a torn triceps, Philadelphia announced the signing of three-time Pro Bowler Zadarius Smith

00:51on September 5th. Smith, 33, made the Pro Bowl in 2019, 2020, and 2022 with the Green Bay Packers

01:01and Minnesota Vikings, and it appeared through five games in Philly that he still had a bit left in

01:06the tank. The 6'4", 270-pound edge recorded 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback

01:14hits in five games with Philly. But on Monday morning, Smith surprised everyone in the football

01:20world by announcing his retirement. I knew this day would come, but now that it's here,

01:25I'm feeling so many emotions I never expected, Smith said in a statement on Instagram.

01:30Who would have thought that a kid from Greenville, Alabama with just one year of high school football

01:35experience would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years?

01:40This game has given me the opportunity to meet great coaches, compete alongside some of the best

01:45players ever, and represent some of the greatest organizations in the league. Football has

01:50transformed my life and my family's lives forever. And for that, I'm forever grateful.

01:56Smith isn't injured. At least not the Eagles announced. So, this move comes as even more of a

02:02surprise. And it's yet another blow to a team that has, thus far, yet to really find its footing in 2025.

02:085.