San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith has elected to hang up the cleats and call it a career, the team announced on Monday. Smith's future in the NFL has been up in the air all offseason while he considered whether he'd retire or return for another season with the 49ers.
49ers announce Justin Smith will retire
The 14-year veteran has decided to call it a career.
The 49ers elected to give Smith as much time as he needed to make a decision on his future, with head coach Jim Tomsula repeatedly saying that pestering Smith to make up his mind wouldn't help anything. All along the 49ers have said that they wanted Smith back, but that his decision did not impact the team's free agency or NFL Draft plans.
49ers CEO Jed York said that Smith always “gave everything he had every play,” which is something you’ve likely heard more than once. Smith was well-known for his high motor and effort even in lost seasons or games in which the 49ers had no real hope of winning.
“As a football coach, you will always be searching for the next Justin Smith, knowing full well you will never find a player quite like him,” said 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula. “Everybody knows about his toughness, durability, and instincts, but his greatest attribute does not get the attention it deserves. Justin never concerned himself with personal accomplishments, his unselfish nature made that impossible. People like to say ‘they broke the mold with him’ but there was never a mold. Justin Smith is a hand-crafted football player.”
49ers general manager Trent Baalke also released a statement saying that Smith will “go down as one of the best to ever wear a 49ers uniform.”
San Francisco's defensive line was going to look different in 2015-16 regardless of whether Smith had chosen to keep playing, thanks to the free agent addition of Darnell Dockett. Most expect Dockett to start at the left defensive end spot, while Ian Williams and Glenn Dorsey will compete for the nose tackle spot.
At Smith's right defensive end spot, there's Tank Carradine and first-round pick Arik Armstead, though most feel the rookie Armstead is too raw to play this season. Carradine is the best option to start, but Tony Jerod-Eddie played over him last season. Still, Carradine isn't far removed from being considered a first-round talent and most 49ers fans would prefer he gets the action there. With a surplus of pass rushers -- Ahmad Brooks, Aaron Lynch and now rookie Eli Harold -- it's possible the 49ers will work in some hybrid sets with two of those guys on one side of the line.
As for what Smith will do now that his playing career is behind him, the former All-Pro says he plans to remain involved with the game. “I’m sure I’ll be doing something football related,” he said via the team’s Twitter account. “I’ll stay around the game as much as I can.”
Smith is a five-time Pro Bowler and was named an All-Pro three times, all with the 49ers. He was the team’s MVP in 2008 and 2011, and was named both the Sports Illustrated and the Pro Football Focus defensive player of the year in 2011. Before his time in San Francisco, he spent seven years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He wraps up a 14-year career with 880 tackles, 87 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, three interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries.
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