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
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Christian McCaffrey calls Kyle Shanahan's 49ers scheme the "most sustainable" in the NFL
You've heard stories about San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan installing a play and breaking down exactly how he expects the defense to react. Then, when the players execute the play, everything occurs as the coach explained, as if he had a crystal ball to predict the outcome.
Shanahan is a confident play-caller, emphasizing execution by his players to ensure everything goes as planned. The 49ers acquired a big-time playmaker last season, trading for star running back Christian McCaffrey, who had already established himself as one of the most versatile players in the league.
Even McCaffrey marvels at the things his play-caller comes up
Where the 49ers rank among most complete teams in the NFL
The San Francisco 49ers have a plethora of talent. The roster is among the best in the league. You ask the players inside the locker room, and they'll tell you without a doubt that they are the best.
"We have a talented football team," wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk said in February. "We have, hands down, the best football team in the league. Hands down. Hands down. I'm not even about to argue with anybody who thinks they should argue that."
Free agency and the draft have come and gone since that comment. Still, another 49ers receiver agrees wholeheartedly with Aiyuk.
"From (Nick) Bosa, Arik (Armstead) to Fred (Warner), we got youngins growing, Deo
NFL approves roster exemption for 3rd active QB on game days after 49ers' playoff woes
The NFL has reportedly approved a bylaw allowing teams to have a third quarterback active on game days without teams needing to use a roster spot for them.
The NFL bylaw on allowing a third QB to be active without burning a roster spot was approved, per source.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 22, 2023
This would have helped the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last season. The team's starter,
PFF ranks Trent Williams as the NFL's best tackle
Ranking season has kicked off over at Pro Football Focus. Brock Purdy recently came in at No. 23 in the analytics site's ranking of NFL quarterbacks. Now, Pro Football Focus has turned its attention to offensive tackles. While there are some question marks along the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line, left tackle is not one of them.
Trent Williams has earned a grade of 91.9 or higher in each of his three seasons with the 49ers, including a career-high and Pro Football Focus all-time best mark of 97.8 in 2021. The 34-year-old has been the highest-graded tackle in each season
