“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”
Smith was pronounced deceased at a hospital in San Jose, and the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner is in charge of investigating his cause and manner of death.
Smith, who played for the San Francisco 49ers, the then-Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, was originally drafted seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Niners. Smith finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after ending the 2011 season with 14 sacks and 27 quarterback hits. He had his best NFL season the following year, racking up 19.5 sacks, still a franchise single-season record, and 29 quarterback hits to earn Pro Bowl and All Pro honors.
His 33 1/2 sacks in his first two seasons are the most in NFL history. He kept that pace up with 4 1/2 sacks in the first three games in 2013 before the off-field issues started with an arrest for DUI and a stint in rehab for substance abuse that sidelined him for five games.
He was also arrested on a weapons charge that season but returned to the field.
“I’m getting there,” he said after his stint in 2013 on the non-football injury list. “Every day’s just a step closer to getting to where I want to be I’ve gotten a lot of support, from my family, friends, organization, teammates and everything. And it really says a lot that people care about me outside the field and they care about me as a person.”
Smith had 3 1/2 sacks in the playoffs that season but was suspended for the first nine games in 2014 and never made it back to his early level of performance because of suspensions and injuries.
San Francisco then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge — his fifth arrest in three years. He signed with Oakland just before the start of the 2015 season and had 3 1/2 sacks in nine games before being suspended again.
“Aldon proudly wore the Silver and Black, was respected by his teammates and will be missed dearly,” the Raiders said in a statement.
Smith applied for reinstatement to the NFL in 2016, but was not allowed back initially. The Raiders released him in 2018 following a domestic violence arrest. A plea agreement was reached in that case. He eventually was reinstated in 2020 and played 16 games for Dallas that season and had five sacks.
He signed with Seattle the next season but was arrested again for battery and was released in training camp. He served a six-month jail sentence for DUI in 2023 and never played again in the NFL.
Smith finished his career with 52 1/2 sacks in 75 games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.