As first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday, former San Francisco 49ers player Aldon Smith had died. In the report, the team did not disclose what caused his death and put out the following statement following the death of Aldon Smith.
“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.”
NFL Community Comments on Death of Aldon Smith
In the wake of the official announcement from the San Francisco 49ers, there were numerous social media posts from members of the NFL community remembering Smith.
Former NFL veteran Aldon Smith has died, the #49ers have announced. Horribly sad. pic.twitter.com/W18NQIrLgy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 13, 2026
Former #49ers All-Pro DE Aldon Smith spent part of the final day of his life delivering pizzas to a local homeless charity (pictured below).
Hours later, he was found unresponsive in a vehicle and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Smith was 36 years old. His cause of… pic.twitter.com/K1ey05mkvp
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 14, 2026
Prayers up for the family, friends and loved ones of Aldon Smith, who has passed away at the age of 36. Gone too soon. pic.twitter.com/AtSj6SwoOx
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 13, 2026
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) June 14, 2026
Absolutely gutted. Beyond gutted to hear the news of the passing of my dude Aldon Smith.
Can’t believe it. Mannn, just gutting.I was so damn proud of the journey he and I took together to get him back into the league after being out of the NFL for 4 years. But also the…
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) June 14, 2026
Rest in peace Aldon Smith 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/d3uDdCLLNi
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 14, 2026
This Aldon news just messed me up. His heart was pure! May God rest his soul.
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) June 14, 2026
Explain… how?! Sincere condolences to the Smith family… https://t.co/XT8lgF3YND
— Cam Jordan (@camjordan94) June 14, 2026
Death of Aldon Smith is still Unconfirmed
While the death of Aldon Smith is still unconfirmed, it was reported by multiple news sources that he was found unresponsive in his truck in Los Gatos, CA. He was apparently delivering pizzas to the homeless community with his friend Amir Shirazi before he was found dead. It was also reported in the San Francisco Chronicle that the two friends returned to Shirazi’s house after delivering the pizzas. Shirazi left the vehicle and went into his, and upon his return found Smith slumped over in the vehicle and unresponsive.
As of June 14th 2026, the official cause and manner of death are under investigation by the Santa Clara County Chief Medical Examiner. According to Shirazi, Smith had recently run into financial problems and did not seem to have been using drugs that day, so he believes that the death of Smith was due to natural causes, such as seizure or a heart attack.
Who was Aldon Smith?
Smith was the 7th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Upon arrival in the NFL, he had an immediate impact and quickly became one of the top pass rushers in the league. In his breakout 2012 campaign, Smith recorded a franchise-best 19.5 sacks and was an integral part in the 49ers’ appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.
While Smith was an incredible player on the field, hiscareer had consistently been plagued by legal troubles and violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. In 2015, the 49ers released him and he played with the Oakland Raiders for a brief period, and was subsequently handed an indefinite suspension by the NFL later in the year which kept him from playing between 2016 and 2019.
Upon reinstatement from his suspension, Smith rejoined the NFL for the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys. This season would be the last in the league of his incredibly talented career.
Main Image: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
