49ers’ Justin Smith will retire from the NFL
May 18, 2015 at 12:59 PM
•
We learned today that San Francisco 49ers five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Smith will retire from the NFL, ending a fantastic career with the team.
Smith was taking his time deciding whether or not to retire. The 49ers, who have been very patient during his decision process, were even open to a mid-season return for their three-time All-Pro.
He met with the team earlier this week but a final decision was not made until today.
Smith, nicknamed "The Cowboy", was signed by the 49ers as a free agent in 2008 after playing for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2001 until 2007. Considered to be one of the best 49ers free agent signings of all-time, Smith has 880 tackles, 87 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, and three interceptions during his 14 year career.
The former fourth overall selection out of Missouri in the 2001 NFL Draft has been a key player in the stellar play of linebacker Aldon Smith, opening holes for the pass rusher to run through on his way to opposing quarterbacks.
During the offseason, the 49ers acquired free agent defensive end Darnell Dockett and drafted
Arik Armstead out of Oregon in the first-round of the NFL Draft. The team also has promising youngster Tank Carradine, a 2013 draft selection out of Florida State.
Smith is 35 years old.
Career NFL and Team Awards
5x Pro Bowl selection
3x All-Pro selection
2x Len Eshmont Award winner
2x Bill Walsh Award winner
4x Matt Hazeltine Iron Man Award winner
1x Ed Block Courage Award winner
More San Francisco 49ers News
Former NFL QB explains why criticisms of Justin Fields, potential 49ers draft pick, are 'bogus'
By David Bonilla
Apr 7, 2021
No one is questioning Justin Fields' athleticism. Some question the former Ohio State quarterback's ability to transition from the college game to the pros quickly. Mark Sanchez recently joined The Pat McAfee Show and explained why Fields' ability to learn an NFL playbook might not take as long as some might be anticipating. Maybe all of his skeptics, who want to find ways to bring the quarterback down, are wrong.
"For Justin, this guy, Dr. Goldman, he's a sports psychologist; I talked to him yesterday," Sanchez said (h/t to Jordan Cohn of 95.7 The Game). "He has some interesting
Justin Fields to throw again for NFL teams on April 14; 49ers expected to attend
By David Bonilla
Apr 7, 2021
Much was said of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's absences from Ohio State's pro day last week. Instead of traveling to Columbus to watch quarterback Justin Fields, a candidate to be drafted with the team's No. 3 overall pick, the duo was in Tuscaloosa for Alabama's pro day, watching Mac Jones.
Why Jones over Fields?
"[Just] talking with Fields' agent [David Mulugheta] and everything, we'll get another one from him too," Shanahan explained last week, per Kirk Larrabee. "So we'll be able to see him. That kind of made it an easy decision."
According to Fields' agent, that next opportunity will come on
My case for the 49ers to draft Justin Fields
By Tim Sprinkles
Apr 5, 2021
When the San Francisco 49ers were drafting at No. 12, there was a lot of speculation about which quarterback might fall and who that might be. The only quarterback who seemed to have a chance to fall to twelve was Mac Jones. However, the 49ers aren't selecting at twelve anymore because they took a huge swing and traded three first rounds picks to move up to pick at No. 3. This means there will likely be three of the consensus top-five quarterback prospects still on the board.
This is my case for Justin Fields.
Fields is a unique specimen at the quarterback position. Everyone on Twitter wants to pigeonhole Fields into a "type" of quarterback and what he could become in Shanahan's offense. Some say he's a runner who can also throw. Others say he's a slow
Why the 49ers must draft Justin Fields
By Adithya Peruvemba
Apr 8, 2021
When Jimmy Garappolo arrived in San Francisco in a trade from the New England Patriots in 2017, he was a young, athletic, and skilled quarterback. However, a couple of season-ending injuries later, his value has plummeted. The perception of the quarterback is that of an older, immobile, and inaccurate passer who often makes questionable decisions.
Garoppolo's injury-riddled stint with the Niners has caused the entire team to suffer due to below-average backup play leading to mostly disappointing results. After head coach Kyle Shanahan's third losing season in four years, he has set his mind on using the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to select a durable franchise quarterback who can execute his offensive playbook effectively and has the athletic skill set to lead a
