San Francisco 49ers' longtime defensive end Justin Smith is gone. The 35-year-old veteran announced his retirement from the NFL via a team statement last Monday.
Smith's decision isn't exactly a shock. The five-time Pro Bowler had hinted at retirement as far back as the final regular-season game on San Francisco's 2014 schedule—news that was first reported by NFL Network's Alex Flanagan last December:
I'm hearing this will be 49ers DT Justin Smith's last game. Retirement looming after 14 yrs. in the NFL
— Alex Flanagan (@Alex_Flanagan) December 28, 2014
The 49ers have had ample time to prepare for this departure and have been readying their roster well before Smith made his final decision.