Za’Darius Smith just came out of retirement to sign with the Atlanta Falcons, and that’s why his name is suddenly everywhere again. This article breaks down who he is, what’s actually confirmed about his comeback, and the full rundown of his life and career people are searching for.
Background: Who Is Za’Darius Smith?
Za’Darius Smith is a professional football player known for his work as an edge rusher and outside linebacker. He was born on September 8, 1992, in Montgomery, Alabama. Over an eleven-year NFL career, he built a reputation as one of the league’s most reliable pass rushers, someone who could line up and get to the quarterback no matter which team he played for.
People search for him because his career has taken a lot of turns lately. He’s played for six different NFL teams, walked away from the game once, and then just this week decided to come back. That kind of back-and-forth naturally makes people want the full story, especially the parts that are actually true versus the parts that are just rumor.
Smith went to Greenville High School in Greenville, Alabama, where he played basketball for most of his time there and only picked up football in his senior year. That’s a detail a lot of fans find surprising, since he ended up becoming a three-time Pro Bowler. He then played two years of college football at East Mississippi Community College before transferring to the University of Kentucky.
Latest Update
Za’Darius Smith has signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. The deal has a base value of $6 million, with a chance to earn up to $8 million in 2026. This comes after he had reportedly been close to re-signing with the Cleveland Browns, but he ultimately chose Atlanta instead.
How we got here: Smith retired from the NFL in October 2025 while with the Philadelphia Eagles, then was released from the team’s reserve/retired list in June 2026. He worked out for the Browns in mid-August 2026, and reports suggested he was about to sign there. Instead, he flew to Atlanta, worked out for the Falcons, and signed with them on August 18, 2026.
Smith previously played for current Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski when both were with the Browns in 2023 and 2024, which likely played a role in his decision. The Falcons needed help at the edge rusher position after losing two players this month — one to an eight-game suspension and another to a season-ending knee injury.
⚠️ What’s unconfirmed: Details about Smith’s current marital status, exact family situation, and net worth vary widely across gossip and fan sites, with no single verified source agreeing on the numbers. Anything below marked “unconfirmed” should be treated as an estimate, not a fact.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Za’Darius Smith was born September 8, 1992, in Montgomery, Alabama. He grew up focused on basketball before switching to football late in high school, a decision that ended up shaping the rest of his life. Details about his childhood home life and siblings are not confirmed by any credible source, so nothing further can be stated as fact here.
Career Path
Smith was drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, 122nd overall, by the Baltimore Ravens. He went on to play for the Green Bay Packers (2019–2021), Minnesota Vikings (2022), Cleveland Browns (2023–2024), Detroit Lions (2024), and Philadelphia Eagles (2025). For his career, Smith has recorded 70.5 sacks, 343 tackles, 10 forced fumbles, and 16 passes defensed across 145 games. He retired briefly in October 2025 before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in August 2026.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 2015 | Signs first NFL contract with the Baltimore Ravens |
| March 2019 | Signs with the Green Bay Packers |
| March 2022 | Signs a three-year, $42 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings |
| May 2023 | Traded to the Cleveland Browns |
| November 2024 | Traded to the Detroit Lions mid-season |
| September 2025 | Signs with the Philadelphia Eagles |
| October 2025 | Announces retirement from the NFL |
| June 2026 | Released from Eagles’ reserve/retired list |
| August 18, 2026 | Signs a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons |
Age
Smith turned 34 on September 8, 2025, making him 33 years old currently, with his 34th birthday approaching in September 2026.
Religion
Smith’s religious beliefs, if any, have not been publicly confirmed by him or verified by a credible outlet. This should be treated as unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
This is one of the most searched but least confirmed parts of his profile. Some sources describe him as married with two children, others list him as single, and one unverified report links him to a public figure in 2025. None of these claims come from a source that has been independently confirmed, so his relationship status is currently listed as unconfirmed.
Net Worth
Unverified fan and celebrity-tracking sites estimate his net worth at around $20 million, based on his combined NFL salaries since 2015. This figure has not been confirmed by any official financial disclosure or major outlet, so it should be read as an estimate rather than a fact.
Parents
Public information about Smith’s parents has not been confirmed by a reliable source. This detail is currently unconfirmed.
Height
Smith is listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall and 270 pounds (122 kg).
Education
Smith attended Greenville High School in Greenville, Alabama, then played two years at East Mississippi Community College before transferring to the University of Kentucky, where he played through the 2014 season.
Hometown/State of Origin
Smith was born and raised near Montgomery, Alabama, and attended high school in Greenville, Alabama.
Official Social Media
His verified Instagram account is @zadariussmith.
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Za’Darius Smith still playing in the NFL?
Yes. After retiring in October 2025, he came out of retirement and signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons on August 18, 2026. He is expected to join their pass-rush rotation for the upcoming season.
Why did Za’Darius Smith retire in the first place?
Smith announced his retirement on October 13, 2025, while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, after appearing in five games that season. The exact personal reasons behind that decision have not been detailed publicly.
How many teams has Za’Darius Smith played for?
He has played for six NFL teams: the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles. With the Falcons, that number becomes seven.
What is Za’Darius Smith’s contract with the Falcons worth?
The deal is a one-year contract with a base value of $6 million and the potential to reach $8 million in 2026 through incentives.
Is Za’Darius Smith married?
This is currently unconfirmed. Different sources give conflicting answers, and none of them are backed by a verified statement from Smith himself, so his relationship status cannot be stated as fact right now.
How old is Za’Darius Smith?
He was born on September 8, 1992, which makes him 33 years old as of August 2026. He turns 34 later this year.
What college did Za’Darius Smith go to?
He started at East Mississippi Community College for two seasons before transferring to the University of Kentucky, where he finished his college career.
✅ Quick recap: Za’Darius Smith is 33, was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and just signed a one-year, up to $8 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons after a brief retirement in 2025.
Wrap-Up
Za’Darius Smith’s story right now is really about a second chance. He walked away from football less than a year ago, and instead of staying retired, he worked his way back through tryouts with two different teams before landing with the Falcons. That’s not a small thing for a player heading into his mid-thirties, and it says something about how much he still wants to compete.
What makes his situation interesting for readers is how much of his personal life remains genuinely unclear. Plenty of pages online will confidently tell you he’s married, or single, or dating someone specific, but none of that holds up against a real source. The honest answer is that his relationship status, family details, and exact net worth are things the public simply doesn’t have confirmed access to yet.
On the field, though, the facts are solid: over a decade in the league, three Pro Bowl nods, and now a fresh shot with a team that needs exactly what he offers. Whether this Falcons chapter turns into a long run or another short stop remains to be seen, but as of today, Za’Darius Smith is back in the NFL and ready to play.
John Wood is the founder and lead editor of Biography Region. He researches and writes accurate, engaging biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, and public figures, delivering well-sourced, reader-focused content that informs and inspires.