Za’Darius Smith’s retirement took the Eagles by surprise last season and the veteran outside linebacker explained the decision in his first press conference since coming out of retirement to join the Falcons.
Smith said on Tuesday that family matters led to the decision to step away from the game because it was the only way he could be with his mother during a difficult time.
“I wasn’t supposed to retire,” Smith said. “I wasn’t going to tell the story, but I’m going to tell it. I got a phone call from my mom’s doctor telling me that she don’t have much longer to be on this Earth. I let the team know. Obviously they wasn’t trying to let me leave, but that was the only thing I had left — to retire. So I retired.”
Smith said that his grandmother and father also passed away soon after his mother died last year and got emotional when asked about why he decided to return to action this year.
“This is my happy place,” Smith said. “Come back, play football. I was in a dark place, but, you know, coming out, running out on the field, the fans — not just the fans, man, the joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks.”
Smith worked out for the Browns after speaking to General Manager Andrew Berry and confirmed that he expected to sign with the team, but the financial offer wasn’t where he wanted it to be and the Falcons moved in because of a bigger need in the wake of Jalon Walker’s torn ACL and James Pearce’s suspension. He added that his mother “always wanted me to be in Atlanta with the Falcons” because it was close to the family’s home in Alabama, so the family ties wound up tugging at Smith on both ends of his brief retirement from the NFL.
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