Aldon Smith’s family are searching for answers after the former NFL pass rusher’s sudden death at 36, and their next step focuses on his brain.
Smith’s passing has been met with sadness across the NFL, not only because of his age, but also because of the complex path his football life took.
He was once one of the league’s most explosive defensive talents, though his career and later years were also marked by personal and legal struggles.
With no official cause of death released, his family’s attorneys say they are trying to understand the full picture.
Aldon Smith’s family sends brain for CTE testing after sudden death
According to ESPN, Smith’s family have arranged for his brain to be examined by medical experts in Boston following his death.
“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,” ESPN reported.
The attorneys added, “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.”
The statement came from family attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall, who are investigating the circumstances around Smith’s passing. Reports said Smith was found unresponsive in a vehicle, but authorities had not released an official cause of death at the time of reporting.
The decision to pursue brain testing does not mean any conclusion has been reached. It shows the family want medical experts to examine whether long-term football trauma may have played a role in the wider story.
Aldon Smith CTE examination follows years of NFL collisions
The family’s attorneys said the testing will look beyond one possible explanation and examine the kind of damage that can follow a career built around repeated contact, collisions and head trauma.
Smith’s NFL career began with rare promise. Drafted seventh overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, he made an immediate impact, recording 33.5 sacks across his first two NFL seasons.
His 19.5-sack 2012 season earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition and remains one of the most dominant early-career pass-rushing bursts of his era. He later played for the Raiders and Cowboys, but suspensions and legal issues interrupted what once looked like a long, star career.
Now, after his death at 36, his family’s focus is on finding answers with care and facts rather than allowing speculation to fill the silence.
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