What player in the NFL, past or present, would you have wanted to see succeed so badly but due to injuries, off the field issues, or whatever happened just derailed their career? For me it was unfortunate to see players like Josh Gordon or Justin Blackmon have their careers end or never getting back on track because of off-field issues.
Aldon Smith. But he let off field troubles ruin his career.
He was actually pretty solid for us in that 2020 season after he had been out of the league 5 years. I’m surprised he didn’t make a roster after that.
NFL exec: Aldon, great job last year. We wanna offer you…
Aldon Smith: I’m going to blow up a daycare.
NFL exec: the best of luck with your next team.
Sounds like he’s just a big Gene Hackman fan…
I mean he had one or two big games then essentially disappeared the rest of the season. Dude had 5 sacks and 31 solo tackles on the season, but 3 of the sacks and 10 of the tackles came in 2 early games out of 16. Dude was invisible for most of the year. Esp the back 3rd of the season.
Yea he did pretty well. But off field issues again. He just could not stay away. He was amazing first there years with SF and could have been the best. He had 42 total sacks for three years in the league.
Jerry crossing his fingers it happens with Martavis Bryant
He was actually a pretty solid run defender with us in 2015 as well, but the guy could never get out of his own way.
There’s a clip of Joe Staley interviewing Trent Williams. Two of the best left tackles to ever do it.
They did a “1-2-3 go” for toughest player they ever had to block, and both said Aldon Smith at the same time.
Off the charts natural ability. Below the charts mental ability.
He’d legit be a HOFer if he just stayed in his house and played video games in his free time
Kyler Murray furiously scribbling notes
That dude was a freak. His arms were so long and he was so athletic. Even some of the best tackles in the league looked helpless trying to block him.
He could’ve been in Canton if he had kept his head in straight.
Aldon Smith and Von Miller were setting sack records at the same time. Same draft, both were just terrorizing the opposing QBs. Von wasn’t a head case and look how his career turned out, future HoFer. Aldon Smith would have been on that same trajectory
Von had his issues, nothing near Aldon, but issues nonetheless. Demarcus Ware really got Von on the right path and I will always love him for that.
There were a ton of player comparisons between the two around that time too. Plenty of people thought Aldon was the better of the two after their first two seasons. Shame that Smith wasted his talent.
Smith was 100% more talented and had a higher ceiling. That 49ers defence should’ve won a Super Bowl (saying this as a ravens fan)