The Philadelphia Eagles needed Za'Darius Smith to help with their pass-rushing woes. Instead, the veteran defensive end shockingly decided to retire after just five games, seemingly disgruntled with his role in Vic Fangio's defense.
However, it seems like the recently retired edge rusher isn't 100% certain he's done playing. Right after Micah Parsons sustained what has reportedly been ruled to be a season-ending injury, Smith took to social media to hint at his desire to replace him.
The Eagles Shouldn't Help Za'Darius Smith Play Again
Smith, who hadn't posted anything on X since September, tweeted an eyes emoji right after Parsons was helped off the field. The timing raised some eyebrows, especially given that he's not necessarily active on social media.
Then again, the Eagles don't owe him anything, and there's simply no reason they should even consider giving him a helping hand. Not only would they be doing him a favor by releasing him after he bailed on the team, but they would be helping one of their main competitors replace their best defensive player.
While the Eagles have fared well against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers, both teams seem to be trending in opposite directions right now, and there's just no way they should consider clearing the way for them to get Smith.
Smith retired out of the blue after playing a season-low 17 snaps against the New York Giants. He logged ten total tackles (three solo), three QB hits, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in five appearances (2 starts) for the Eagles. He never played more than 50% of the snaps or 36 defensive snaps.
Even so, his Pro Football Focus grade of 77.7 and ten pressures showed that he still had some juice left in the tank. But with Nakobe Dean set to return from injury, he was never going to be a starter or play meaningful snaps.
It's easy to understand why he chose to walk away from the game once he realized that he wasn't going to be an every-down type of player at that point in his career. That being said, with the way he left the team hanging after they were the only team willing to give him another chance, he shouldn't even consider having the nerve to ask the Eagles to do him a solid and make him a free agent so he can join a fellow Super Bowl contender.
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