It hasn't been a fun couple of weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles, as they've dropped two consecutive games and sit with a 4-2 record. While they look to rebound on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7, they were handed some surprising news on Monday.
EDGE rusher Za’Darius Smith announced his retirement on Instagram, hanging up his pads after 11 years in the NFL. This development is less than ideal for an Eagles defense that already needed more juice at that position. What is somewhat reassuring, though, is that Smith's sudden retirement isn't a byproduct of the apparent issues within Philadelphia's locker room.
Shortly after the initial news broke, The Athletic's Dianna Russini posted on X, "I’m told Za’Darius Smith’s decision to retire is a personal one. It has nothing to do with the Eagles."
Za’Darius Smith’s Retirement Doesn’t Have to Do Locker Room Problems
The biggest storyline around the Eagles this season has been their underwhelming offensive production. There were reports that Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and A.J. Brown met up last week to discuss some things. However, following their Week 6 loss to the Giants, Brown stated he didn't "recall a meeting."
That only added more attention to the problems that seem to be boiling over inside the Eagles' locker room. All these problems have led to more trade speculation for Brown, who some league executives believe could be moved for the right price.
From the outside looking in, it appears these problems have trickled onto the field, so it's natural that some people may have believed this led to Smith's abrupt retirement. He joined the Eagles on a one-year deal back on Sept. 5 and seemed to be ready to provide this defense with a veteran edge rusher they desperately needed.
After arriving in Philadelphia, Smith logged 131 total snaps, playing in at least 25% of the defensive snaps in each game. In those outings, he has secured 10 total tackles, three QB hits, two TFLs, and 1.5 sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a 79 overall grade (23rd among 170 graded edge defenders), 75.9 pass rush grade (21st among 170 graded edge defenders), and 69.5 run-defense grade (31st among 170 graded edge defenders).
These numbers prove that Smith still had juice left in the tank and was capable of providing this defensive front with a veteran force. Now the Eagles will be forced to find another option in the edge rotation while they continue to deal with the problems brewing behind the scenes.