Former NFL defensive end Aldon Smith dies at age 36

Former NFL defensive end Aldon Smith has died at the age of 36, his former team the San Francisco 49ers confirmed. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Smith was selected by the 49ers as the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and quickly became one of the league's most dominant pass rushers. In his rookie season, he was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team after recording 14 sacks, the second-highest total by a rookie in a single season since 1982. The following year, he earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors.

Over four seasons with the 49ers, Smith helped the team reach three NFC Championship Games. He later played one season each for the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. In total, he appeared in 75 regular-season games and retired in 2023.

However, Smith's career was marred by off-field issues. He was arrested multiple times for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI), illegal weapons possession, and domestic violence. In 2014, he was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, and in 2015, after another DUI arrest, the 49ers released him. Later that year, he joined the Raiders but played only nine games before receiving an indefinite suspension for substance abuse. He missed the 2016 and 2017 seasons and was released by the Raiders in 2018.

Smith returned to the NFL with the Cowboys in 2020, starting 16 games, and had a four-month stint with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 without making an appearance.

"We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith," read a 49ers statement. "Aldon's undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organisation, 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."