Steve Smith Sr retired at 37 in 2017, following a 16-year run with the Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens. It was a time when his body was getting older, and he could feel it in his performance. But a flag football game after COVID-19 effectively shut the door on any chances of a comeback.

When asked about ever considering coming back to the game, Steve Smith Sr. narrated the ordeal that proved there were no hopes.

“[I] still got the pass, I’m good,” Smith said on ESPN Radio. “Hamstrings and quads didn’t get the memo that we were still good.

“So, first game, tweaked slightly, grabbed my left hamstring, and I knew something was up because when I went into the second game, my left one tightened up a little bit more. But my left one said, ‘We ain’t gonna get tight. We done.’ And I pulled my right hamstring.

“I was playing pretty decent at corner, and I just got in my Spidey senses went off and I said, ‘I think they bought to try me.’ And lo and behold, I got an out-and-up; they gave me the fast out-and-up… So, here’s the Agent 89, the Steve Smith, the angry player, ‘This will be my last play, and I cannot let this dude catch the ball on me.’ … So, I go, my right one’s pulled, my left one decides to join the party. I completely pull both hamstrings.” 

The situation was so bad that Smith went home and emptied a whole can of Epsom salt in his bath to help with the pain. He was informed soon after that their team qualified for the playoffs, but the veteran wide receiver was “done.”

Nevertheless, Smith’s gridiron legacy remains legendary. Even though he’s just 5-foot-9, he was one of the most intimidating WRs in history. Over 16 seasons, he caught 1,090 receptions for 15,732 yards and scored 90 touchdowns (including postseason stats). He’s a five-time Pro Bowler who received two First-Team All-Pro nods. He also entered the Panthers’ Hall of Honor, cementing his legacy. 

Interestingly, flag football wasn’t a brand new avenue for Smith. Growing up, he played flag football in Los Angeles, since Pop Warner was more costly. He played tackle football once he got to high school, and never looked back. Smith still regards flag football as a great opportunity for kids to focus on the sport’s fundamentals.

Smith might be out of the field as a player. But his impact persists as a no-nonsense analyst for NFL Network. And today, he’s more than happy to stick to breaking down film away from the fast out-and-up routes.