Za'Darius Smith makes surprising midseason retirement announcement

Mark Stoops‘ first signature recruiting win at Kentucky is hanging up his cleats in a shocking midseason retirement decision. Za’Darius Smith, currently in his 11th year in the NFL, has decided to step away from the game just a month after joining the Philadelphia Eagles.

He announced his decision on Monday after recording a season-low 17 snaps in the team’s loss to the New York Giants.

“I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected,” Smith announced. “Who would’ve thought that a kid from Greenville, AL, with just one year of high school football experience, would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years!

“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. … As I step into the newest season of my life, please know this game has meant the world to me. The lessons learned on and off the field will stay with me forever.”

Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, finishes his career with 343 tackles (223 solo), 176 QB hits, 87 tackles for loss, 70.5 sacks, 16 pass deflections and 10 forced fumbles in 145 games and 98 starts. He earned $83.4 million in 11 years as a pro across six teams, starting with the Baltimore Ravens (2015-18), followed by the Green Bay Packers (2019-21), Minnesota Vikings (2022), Cleveland Browns (2023-24), Detroit Lions (2024) and Eagles (2025).

He was a fourth-round pick out of Kentucky, spending two seasons in Lexington after coming over as a top-10 JUCO prospect from East Mississippi Community College. Playing just one year of high school football, Smith went on to rack up 120 tackles (50 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, three pass deflections and two fumble recoveries as a Wildcat in 2013 and 2014.

The 6-6, 260-pound defensive end was Stoops’ first major recruiting win at Kentucky, and now, he’s ready to call it a career — a great one, at that.

Enjoy life after football, Big Z. It was a pleasure watching you destroy quarterbacks over the years.