Aldon Smith, the former San Francisco 49ers pass rusher, died at 36 on June 13, 2026. The 49ers said the death was sudden and tragic, while Santa Clara County’s chief medical examiner confirmed the death is being investigated and that the cause and manner of d
The last thing Aldon Smith was doing, according to a friend, was working a quiet charity run—delivering pizzas for people without homes. Then, within hours, the 36-year-old was found unresponsive in a front seat, and his death set off an investigation that still hasn’t disclosed what happened.
Smith’s former team, the San Francisco 49ers, announced his death on June 13. “We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the team said in a post on X.
No cause of death has been released.
Santa Clara county’s chief medical examiner. Michelle Jorden. said the Medical Examiner’s office is confirming Smith’s death and investigating it. In a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. Jorden wrote that the office is confirming the death of 36-year-old Aldon Jacarus Ramon Smith. “who died today June 13. 2026. ” and that “The Medical Examiner is investigating his death. and no further information is available at this time. The cause and manner of death are pending.”.
A friend. Amir Shirazi. told the Chronicle he had been helping Smith deliver a donation of pizzas to a charity for homeless people before Smith died. After the delivery, Shirazi and Smith drove back to Shirazi’s home. Shirazi said he stepped inside and, when he returned to the truck, he found Smith slumped over and unresponsive.
“He was perfectly fine an hour before,” Shirazi said. “I came out and he was basically dead in my front seat. I’m just in shock.”
Smith was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose less than an hour after he was found unresponsive.
Shirazi believes Smith’s death was due to natural causes, but he said he does not know for certain. He also described how financial pressure had weighed on Smith. Shirazi said Smith was struggling financially and bounced around to friends’ homes while he waited for his NFL pension to begin. According to the NFL, a player can start receiving a pension at age 55. Smith was 36.
Despite Smith’s history of substance abuse, Shirazi told the Chronicle he hadn’t seen Smith use drugs on the day he died. Shirazi said Smith only smoked marijuana occasionally through the years.
“He was a very sweet, caring, loving giant,” Shirazi said. “That if you really knew him, you’d know who he truly is.”
The sequence of events—from a charity delivery earlier on June 13 to a medical examiner investigation that still has not reached conclusions—leaves a painful gap where answers should be. For now, the public facts are clear about timing and confirmation, but not about cause.
Smith’s NFL career. once defined by relentless pressure on quarterbacks. had been largely derailed by substance abuse issues that kept him away from the league from 2016 to 2019. He last played in the NFL in the 2020 season. the first and only season of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. At his peak, Smith was a game-wrecker who totaled 33.5 sacks in his first 32 games.
The 49ers player’s post-NFL life also shifted sharply after his spotlight faded. A friend told the San Francisco Chronicle that Smith struggled financially and recently returned to the Bay Area.
Aldon Smith was born on Sept. 25, 1989. He was 36 years old when he died.
Across six NFL seasons, Smith appeared in 75 regular-season games. He finished with 52.5 sacks, 228 total tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 103 quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, and an interception. In eight playoff games, he totaled 5.5 sacks, 20 total tackles, 15 quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
Before the NFL, Smith attended the University of Missouri, where he recorded 14.5 sacks in two seasons. He was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and played 23 career games for the Tigers. finishing with 14.5 sacks. 23 tackles for loss. 79 total tackles. a forced fumble. and an interception.
Aldon Smith 49ers NFL cause of death investigation Santa Clara County Michelle Jorden Good Samaritan Hospital Amir Shirazi Dallas Cowboys
36 is way too young. This is scary.
It says they’re investigating but no cause yet… so people are gonna guess anyway. The pizza run thing is wild, like how does someone just drop like that in a front seat?
I saw a clip earlier that said it was an overdose or a “medical emergency” like right? but now it’s “pending” so idk. Also he was a 49ers pass rusher so probably heart stuff from football? not trying to be gross just seems connected.
Charity pizzas for homeless people and then found unresponsive… makes you think it was something random, like a seizure or something. But the report is all over the place with dates and wording, and the hospital/pronounced part got cut off, so I’m not even sure what timeline they’re claiming. Either way I’m sad for his family, just wish they’d release something so folks stop filling in blanks.