Emotional Za'Darius Smith explains why he left NFL, and why he's back

· Yahoo Sports

Former Green Bay Packers pass rusher Za'Darius Smith is back in the NFL, signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, who will open play five days after Smith celebrates his 34th birthday.

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In an emotional press conference with Falcons reporters, Smith explained why he retired from the NFL in 2025 after just five games with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I got a phone call from my mom's doctor telling me that she doesn't have much longer to be on this earth," Smith said. "That was the only thing I had left [in terms of options], to retire, so I retired. After losing my mom, I lost my grandma, and after my grandma, I just lost my dad."

Smith, born in Montgomery, Alabama – less than a three-hour drive from Atlanta – said his mom always wanted him to play for the Falcons.

"I could see this as my happy place," Smith said.

"I was in a dark place," he added. "Coming out, running out on the field, the fans – not only just the fans, the joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks."

Smith said he leaned heavily on one friend in particular, nine-year NFL veteran Wallace Gilberry, to help him through the deaths in his family.

Smith said he received a call from Cleveland, where he played in 2023 and 2024, later in the 2025 season. He went through a workout with the Browns, but the sides couldn't agree on compensation. Kevin Stefanski, who coached the Browns last season, is now the Falcons' coach.

The Falcons have experienced some injury and suspension losses on their defensive front, necessitating the addition of a veteran like Smith.

Smith played three years for the Packers, from 2019 through 2021, although his 2021 season was limited to one game by injury.

But he played 16 in each of the previous two seasons and made Pro Bowls each time, racking up 26 sacks in those seasons.

When he walked away last year, he had 70½ career sacks, and he joked at the press conference that he'd like to get to 100.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Emotional Za'Darius Smith explains why he left NFL, and why he's back

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