Aldon Smith's family hires attorneys to investigate death, possible CTE

Michael Nowels, The Mercury News on Jun 16, 2026

Published in Football

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The family of former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Aldon Smith intends to have his brain studied by CTE experts, according to family statement released Tuesday.

Smith died Saturday at San Jose’s Good Samaritan Hospital after a medical emergency in Los Gatos, Calif. No cause has been given by the Santa Clara Medical Examiner’s Office for the 36-year-old’s 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. 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,” said a statement released by the office of civil rights attorney Harry Daniels.

“In the meantime we simply ask you to keep Aldon’s family in our prayers and respect their privacy as they struggle to come to grips with this terrible loss.”

CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a brain disease likely caused by repeated head injuries and has been found in the brains of former athletes, especially those in contact sports such as football. The Boston University CTE Center and Brain Bank is one of the leading research centers on the disease in the world.

Smith’s family hired civil rights attorneys Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall in the wake of the former NFL star’s death.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “symptoms of CTE are thought to include trouble with thinking and emotions, physical symptoms, and other behaviors.” Impulsive behavior, aggression, emotional instabiliity and substance misuse are also symptoms of the disease.

The former All-Pro defensive end set 49ers team records for most sacks by a rookie (14 in 2011) and most sacks in a single season (19 1/2 in 2012), but off-field troubles, including multiple DUI arrests, derailed his career.

Smith made efforts to mentor younger players in recent years, and he spoke to the 49ers rookies on Thursday, along with other team alumni.

An hour before his death, Smith had been volunteering to bring food to homeless people, according to an Instagram post by Scott Wagers, a pastor and founder of the outreach group Community Homeless Alliance Ministries. Wagers said he had not met Smith before Saturday; he described him as “gracious and humble.”

The Greenwood, Miss., native was the No. 7 overall pick by the 49ers out of Missouri in the 2011 NFL draft. He played for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys after his time with the 49ers and later signed with the Seattle Seahawks, registering 52.5 sacks in 75 career games.

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Cam Inman and Luis Melecio-Zambrano contributed to this story.