New Atlanta Falcons defensive end Za'Darius Smith opened up Wednesday for the first time about why he suddenly retired during last season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith, who the Falcons signed last week, said in a news conference that he got a call from his mother's doctor last year and was informed that his mother did not have much longer to live. Smith said he wanted to leave the Eagles at that point, and his only recourse was to retire.

Smith, 33, played five games last season in Philadelphia. After retiring in October, Smith said his mother died. Then, his grandmother and father died, too. "I was in a dark place," Smith said. When he got a call from Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry earlier this month, Smith said he told him he loved football and still wanted to play. Smith visited with the Browns, but said he didn't sign right away because the money did not work for him initially.

But then the Falcons called him. Atlanta had just lost edge rusher Jalon Walker (ACL) for the season and another edge rusher, James Pearce Jr., was suspended eight games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Smith said the Falcons told them they needed him. Atlanta was a perfect fit, Smith said. Not only was his former coach, Kevin Stefanski, the team's head coach, but the Falcons are the closest team to his home in Montgomery, Alabama.

Smith ended up signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the Falcons on Aug. 18. He said in honor of his mother he is working on getting two Greyhound buses to park in front of his church in Montgomery on game days to take his mother's "church family" back and forth to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Smith has 70.5 career sacks in 11 seasons and was a 2020 All-Pro second-team selection with the Green Bay Packers.