There is still no known cause of death for Aldon Smith as of Wednesday, June 17.
The former San Francisco 49ers edge rusher died at 36 years old on Saturday, June 13. Smith’s friend, Amir Shirazi, found him unresponsive after the two had delivered pizzas to a homeless charity.
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Smith’s family has hired attorneys to investigate the circumstances of Smith’s sudden death. The Law Offices of Harry M. Daniels told USA TODAY Sports in a statement on Tuesday, June 16 that they are having Smith’s brain examined for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a degenerative brain disease common in former football players.
The Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed Smith’s death to USA TODAY Sports but said in a statement that the “cause and manner of death” are pending after an autopsy.
Here is everything we know so far:
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What happened to Aldon Smith? What we know about cause of death
Smith was found unresponsive by a friend on Saturday morning, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
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A friend, Amir Shirazi, had been helping Smith deliver a donation of pizzas to a charity for homeless people before his passing. Shirazi and Smith drove back to Shirazi’s home following the delivery. Shirazi stepped inside and when he returned to the truck, that’s when he found Smith slumped over and unresponsive.
“He was perfectly fine an hour before,” Shirazi told the Chronicle. “I came out and he was basically dead in my front seat. I’m just in shock.”
Smith was officially pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, less than an hour later. Shirazi believes his friend’s death was due to natural causes, but doesn’t know for certain.
Smith’s cause of death has yet to be announced as of June 17.
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The Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed Smith’s death, with the results of an autopsy pending.
“The Office of the Medical Examiner is confirming the death of 36-year-old Aldon Jacarus Ramon Smith, who died Saturday, June 13, 2026,” a spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “An autopsy was performed and the cause and manner of death are pending. The Medical Examiner is investigating his death, and no further information is available at this time.”
ALDON SMITH CAUSE OF DEATH: 49ers ‘devastated’ after former star dies at 36
Aldon Smith admitted to hard times before death
In an interview published in the days leading to his death, Smith admitted he “definitely had better days.”
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When the interviewer asked him to elaborate, Smith replied:
“I kind of don’t. It’s something along the lines of something I think I’ve been dealing with my whole life and I’m just struggling accepting how it’s playing out right now. That sounded like a bunch of gibberish.
“To be honest, I’m grateful man. I’m in a place of gratitude right now.”
Shirazi said that his friend was struggling financially and bounced around to friends’ homes while he waited for his NFL pension to kick in. According to the NFL, a player can start receiving a pension at age 55. Smith was 36.
Despite a history of substance abuse, Shirazi said he hadn’t seen Smith use drugs on the day of his death and he only smoked marijuana occasionally through the years.
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“He was a very sweet, caring, loving giant,” Shirazi said. “That if you really knew him, you’d know who he truly is.”
Smith’s family hires attorneys to investigate ‘all aspects’ of death
A team of lawyers says it was hired by Aldon Smith’s family in the wake of his unexpected passing, The Law Offices of Harry M. Daniels told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, June 16.
The counsel of national civil rights attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall confirmed in a phone call that they have been retained by members of Smith’s family but did not specify what connection the family members had to the Smith.
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“As with anyone who dies so suddenly at such a young age, we understand that there is a great deal of interest in and speculation about Aldon Smith’s passing and we intend to get to the bottom of it,” The Law Offices of Harry M. Daniels said in a statement. “To that end, we have taken a number of steps including sending his brain to Boston where medical experts will examine it for CTE as well as other damage caused by years of concussions and additional trauma.”
What is CTE?
CTE, which stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The condition is rare and can only be diagnosed during an autopsy. It is not caused by a singular head injury, but rather repeated head injuries that typically occur in contact sports or military combat. That makes the disease more common among boxers, football players and military veterans.
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Since the disease can’t be confirmed until after death, it is unclear how common CTE is amongst athletes and others who are at risk.
There is currently no known cure for CTE.
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CTE symptoms
There are no specific symptoms linked to CTE that can be identified solely as a result of the disease. According to the clinic, many of the symptoms can also be linked to other conditions.
In patients diagnosed with CTE after autopsy, symptoms have included cognitive, behavioral, mood and movement changes. However, these symptoms don’t present right away. Experts believe they take years or decades to develop after repeated head trauma.
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Here’s the list of those symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic:
Cognitive impairment
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Problems with planning, organizing and carrying out tasks.
Behavioral changes
Mood changes
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Suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Movement symptoms
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Trouble with walking and with balance.
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Shaking, slow movement and trouble with speech, known as parkinsonism.
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Gradual loss of control of movements, such as walking, speaking, swallowing and breathing, known as motor neuron disease.
Notable NFL players diagnosed with CTE
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Wide receiver Chris Henry
Aldon Smith age
Aldon Smith was born on Sept. 25, 1989. He was 36 years old when he died.
Aldon Smith career stats
Smith played six seasons in the NFL, appearing in 75 regular-season games. He finished his career with 52.5 sacks, 228 total tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 103 quarterback hits, five forced fumbles and an interception.
He also played in eight playoff games, where he totaled 5.5 sacks, 20 total tackles, 15 quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
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Aldon Smith college
Smith attended the University of Missouri prior to being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
He played two seasons for the Tigers, totaling 14.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, 79 total tackles, a forced fumble and an interception in 23 career games.
Aldon Smith career earnings
Smith’s career earnings are somewhat disputed, depending on where you look. According to Spotrac, Smith made $24,009,157 in his career while OverTheCap has him at $19,507,286.
What teams did Aldon Smith play for?
Smith appeared in games with three different teams during his NFL career:
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Oakland Raiders (2015): 9 games
Struggles with substance abuse led to the NFL “indefinitely” suspending Smith in November 2015. He missed the remainder of that season and was out of football from 2016 through 2019. The league reinstated the edge rusher after he signed with the Cowboys in 2020.
Jim Harbaugh reacts to Aldon Smith’s death
Smith was the first player Harbaugh drafted after he took the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach position in 2011. The former Missouri Tiger was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and played for Harbaugh and the 49ers for the first four years of his career.
Speaking to reporters at a Chargers press conference on Tuesday, June 16, Harbaugh was asked about Smith’s death.
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“Just tragic,” Harbaugh said. “Aldon Smith was a great friend, great teammate, loved, much loved by all. I mean, there were times I thought he was hard on himself, but mostly always a wonderful person to others. Even reported right up until the time that he passed. So pray and pulling hard for Aldon to rest in peace.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did Aldon Smith die: What we know about former 49ers star’s cause of death
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