The family of former San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Aldon Smith will send his brain to Boston for CTE and concussion research, the family’s recently retained attorneys announced Tuesday. The former All-Pro died Saturday at 36.Attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall, who specialize in civil rights cases, were hired by the family this week. In a statement Tuesday, the attorneys said that with the cause of death still undetermined, they are “currently investigating all of the aspects of this tragedy, including the potential role CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) might have played given the numerous concussions Smith suffered throughout his career.”Smith was found Saturday by friend Amir Shirazi, slumped over in Shirazi’s car shortly after the two spent the morning delivering pizzas to a Bay Area homeless charity. The 49ers announced his death later that day. The medical examiner said Monday that it had completed an autopsy, but that the cause of death was still pending.“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,” the family’s attorneys said in a statement. “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.”CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain disease often found among people who have experienced repeated head trauma and can only be diagnosed by examining the brain after death. The family of Claude Lemieux, the former NHL star who was found dead May 28 at age 60, also donated his brain to CTE research.Smith helped take San Francisco to three straight NFC Championship Games during his four seasons with the team. He was a key part of a defense that contributed to the team going 36-11-1 in his first three years, along with a Super Bowl appearance in 2012. In his second season in San Francisco, Smith set a then-franchise record with 19.5 sacks, earning first-feam All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods.However, his career was derailed by multiple arrests, including for driving under the influence and domestic violence. Smith served six months in prison after pleading guilty to a felony DUI in 2023, and was suspended multiple times between 2016 and 2019, including for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. After the 49ers released him in 2015, he played one season with the Oakland Raiders that year and one season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, after which the Cowboys decided not to re-sign him.Jun 16, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms