Za’Darius Smith won’t get another revenge game against the Green Bay Packers after all.
The former All-Pro defensive end, who spent the most productive years of his career in Green Bay, announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, Oct. 13, via a post on Instagram.
His retirement comes just over a month after signing for the 2025 season with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles subsequently announced that they have put Smith on the reserve/retired list.
Smith played in five games and started two with 10 tackles and 1½ sacks for the Eagles (4-2) this season. He signed with the Eagles just days before the 2025 season started.
The Eagles began the year 4-0 but have lost their last two games and are coming off a stunning defeat on “Thursday Night Football” to the New York Giants in Week 6.
“I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected,” Smith wrote on Instagram.
“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!”
