May 21, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Nolan Smith was reportedly arrested Friday for speeding and reckless driving.
Philadelphia Eagles edge defender Nolan Smith was arrested last Friday for reckless driving and speeding. A mugshot of Smith first appeared at The Georgia Gazette, a site that appears to be a roundup of arrest records. Local CBS affiliate WMAZ-TV confirmed the arrest.
PhillyVoice has not yet been able to confirm the speed that Smith was driving, but reports online suggest he was either going 135 or 137 MPH in a 70 MPH zone.
There have been a number of recent incidents in which NFL players were cited for excessive speeding.
None of the above players were suspended by the NFL. It's also worth noting that Jalen Carter – Smith's teammate both with the Eagles and at Georgia – pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in 2023. He received a year of probation, plus a small fine and community service.
Smith had a quiet rookie season in 2023 and his second season in 2024 got off to a slow start. However, the light seemed to come on for him after the Week 5 bye in 2024. In the 15 games he played from October on, Smith had 10.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and he did a lot of the dirty work in the defense like taking on pulling guards and burying them. He also led the NFL with four postseason sacks.
Smith entered 2025 as a budding star, and the Eagles' top edge defender. However, he did not have the season that he or the Eagles were hoping for, as he missed five games after aggravating a triceps injury that he suffered in the previous year's Super Bowl. He was also on a pitch count upon his return.
Smith will presumably be healthy to begin the 2026 season, and the Eagles will hope he picks up where he left off in 2024. The promise he showed in 2024 was enough for the Eagles to exercise his fifth-year option for 2027, at a cost of just under $14 million.
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