The Philadelphia Eagles are being forced to cope with a loss they likely never saw coming, with star defensive end Za’Darius Smith suddenly retiring just six games into the 2025 NFL season and just over a month after joining the team.

The Eagles signed Smith after their season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys in September. The player inked a one-year deal worth $9 million before starting two games over the five that followed and shockingly took to Instagram on Monday to disclose that he would be walking away from football after an 11-year career.

“I knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected,” he wrote.

Smith, a former standout at the University of Kentucky, was a fourth-round pick in 2015, with the Baltimore Ravens selecting him

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