Vikings LB Cameron Smith, who returned to the field after open-heart surgery, retires from NFL
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith, who was diagnosed with a heart condition that required open heart surgery after a COVID-19 diagnosis last season, announced his retirement Wednesday night.
“For the past 18 years, football has been such a tremendous part of my life,” Smith wrote in an Instagram post. “It has provided countless friendships, incredible memories, and invaluable lessons that will last a lifetime. When I had open heart surgery last year, I grappled a lot with what I had been asking my body to do in order to play this great game. Ultimately, I’ve decided that I’ve been asking for it to do too much.
“After careful consideration and thorough discussion with my friends and family, I have made the difficult decision to retire from the NFL. I know this transition isn’t going to be easy, but I am excited to tackle this next chapter of my life with the same passion and pursuit that I did football. I am grateful for, and will forever cherish, the many opportunities that I have been given to me through football.”
Smith, 24, returned to the field in Minnesota's 33-6 loss Saturday against the Denver Broncos in the team's preseason opener. Smith recorded one tackle on 24 snaps in the game.
He tested positive for COVID-19 in August 2020 and then learned he had a congenital heart defect. The open heart surgery was to fix a bicuspid aortic valve, Smith said in a different Instagram post, the one last year that announced his diagnosis.
Smith, the No. 162 overall selection in the 2019 draft, appeared in five games in the 2019 season and recorded eight tackles. A four-year starter at USC, Smith racked up 354 tackles, 3.5 sacks and four interceptions with the Trojans.