Former NFL pass rusher Aldon Smith has died at the age of 36. The San Francisco 49ers confirmed his passing on Saturday, June 14, 2026, saying he died earlier that day in Northern California. No cause of death has been released.
"We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith," the 49ers said in an official statement.
Smith entered the league as the seventh overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Missouri. He recorded 33.5 sacks in his first 32 regular-season games - a pace that had many projecting him as a future Hall of Famer. He earned first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection in 2012. Over his career with the 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, and a brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks, he finished with 52.5 sacks in 81 games.
But his story was never just about the stats.
His battles with substance abuse, mental health, and the law played out in the national spotlight. In the years that followed, Smith chose to confront those struggles head-on. His journey saw him go from NFL superstar to sleeping under a car - and later, to a sober-living rehabilitation center in Los Angeles.
After working hard on himself and finding sobriety, he returned to the league not as a player, but as a leader and mentor, sharing hard-learned lessons to help young athletes navigate the pressures of both life and football.
"After everything I've gone through and being on the other side of the depression, anxiety, self-hate and the negative self-talk, I feel like it's my duty to use what I've learned and be able to help people out," Smith said in a 2024 interview.
The 49ers called him "a dynamic talent and an even better person," adding that "his warmth and presence left a lasting impact on our organization and the game." The Las Vegas Raiders said Smith "proudly wore the Silver and Black" and that "the thoughts and prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with Aldon's family at this time."
Smith's story resonates deeply in a world that is quick to count people out. His willingness to speak openly about mental health, self-hate, and the long road back from rock bottom was a rare kind of courage - the kind that outlasts any sack total. We pray for his family and loved ones as they grieve this sudden loss.
He was 36.
