The San Francisco 49ers announced on Saturday evening that former defensive end Aldon Smith had died. He was 36. The announcement came from the franchise that drafted him seventh overall in 2011, the team that watched him become one of the most dominant pass rushers in the sport before everything unravelled. No cause of death was given. The 49ers described the passing as sudden and tragic.
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the organisation said. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organisation, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into.”
What Aldon Smith Did on the Field
Smith came out of the University of Missouri and looked, from his very first professional game, like something different. In his rookie season he recorded 14 sacks, the second-most by a rookie in NFL history. The following year, 2012, he posted 19.5 sacks, a franchise record for San Francisco, earned First Team All-Pro honours and appeared in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens. He had 33.5 sacks in his first 32 regular-season games, a rate that had never been seen in the modern NFL. The phrase most used to describe him in those years was generational.
By 2014, the off-field problems had overtaken everything. Multiple DUI arrests, a stabbing incident at a house party, a weapons charge. The 49ers released him in 2015. The Oakland Raiders signed him, then suspended him indefinitely for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The Dallas Cowboys gave him a brief chance in 2020, where he posted 5 sacks in 11 games and showed enough to suggest something remained. Then the league was done with him, and he was done with the league.
The Player the NFL Lost Twice
Smith died at 36, having not played in the NFL since 2020. The Raiders released a statement alongside the 49ers, both franchises acknowledging a life that produced extraordinary football and then became a long, difficult education in how quickly everything can fall apart. He was one of the most talented pass rushers the sport has ever seen. He was 36 years old. No cause of death has been provided.