49ers mourn the sudden death of former All-Pro quarterback Aldon Smith at age 36
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Aldon Smith, a troubled but talented runner whose promising career was marred by legal troubles, has died at age 36.
The San Francisco 49ers announced Smith’s death Saturday night. The team did not disclose the cause of his death.
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“We are saddened by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and dominance on the field was evident from the moment he joined our organization, recording one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has ever seen. In addition to his brilliance as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into.”
Smith was drafted by the 49ers with the 11th pick out of Missouri in 2011 and made an immediate impact on the team, helping San Francisco snap a drought and reach the NFC title game in his first three seasons with one trip to the Super Bowl.
He had 14 sacks as a rookie when he finished second to Von Miller in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and had a franchise-record 19 1/2 sacks in 2012 when he was named a first-team All-Pro.
His 33 1/2 sacks in his first two seasons are the most in NFL history. He went on to put up 4 1/2 sacks in the first three games of 2013 before the off-field troubles began with a DUI arrest and a stint in drug rehab that sidelined him for five games.
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He was arrested again for weapons charges that season but returned to the field.
“I’m about to get there,” he said after his 2013 stint on the disabled list. “Every day is a step closer to where I want to be and I have a lot of support, from my family, friends, organization, teammates and everything. And it means a lot that people care about me off 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 returned to his starting level of performance due to suspensions and injuries.
San Francisco then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving conviction — 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.
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“Aldon was proud to wear the Silver and Black, he was respected by his teammates and he will be greatly missed,” said a statement from the Raiders.
Smith applied for reinstatement to the NFL in 2016, but was initially denied. The Raiders released him in 2018 following a domestic violence arrest. A plea agreement was reached in that case.
He was eventually brought back 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 released from training camp. He served a six-month prison sentence for a DUI in 2023 and never played in the NFL again.
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Smith finished his career with 52 1/2 sacks in 75 games.
In college he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and was the recipient of Missouri’s Defensive Lineman of the Year Award in 2010.
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