PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith announced his retirement on social media Monday.

Smith informed the team of his decision Monday morning, a league source said, marking a sudden departure for a productive player at a position of need for Philadelphia.

"I knew this day would come -- but now that it's here, l'm feeling so many emotions I never expected," he wrote on Instagram .

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A post shared by šŸ’¤Smith52 (@zadariussmith)

"Who would've thought that a kid from Greenville, AL, with just one year of high school football experience, would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years!... As I step into the newest season of my life, please know this game has meant the world to me. The lessons learned on and of

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