Former 49ers Linebacker Aldon Smith Dies at 36

Aldon Smith died Saturday at age 36, the San Francisco 49ers announced. ” No cause of death was provided. Smith played six seasons in the NFL for the 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers selected him seventh overall in the 2011 draft out of the University of Missouri.

As a rookie, Smith recorded 14 sacks and finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. 5 sacks, a franchise record, earned First-Team All-Pro honors and started for San Francisco in Super Bowl XLVII. 5 sacks and 103 tackles while appearing in 50 regular-season games and eight postseason games for the 49ers.

The 49ers released Smith before the 2015 season after multiple DUI arrests. He signed with the Raiders in September 2015 and appeared in nine games that year. The NFL suspended Smith for nine games in 2014 for violating substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies, then for the full 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons.

He was conditionally reinstated in May 2020, played 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys that season, and signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks for 2021 before his release prior to the season following a battery arrest. ” The organization extended condolences to the Smith family.

In a 2024 interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Smith said he was “good at playing football, but I wasn’t a good football player,” citing a need for greater discipline and guidance off the field.