The Atlanta Falcons are a couple of weeks away from the regular season, and things were looking a little bit dire along the edge based on the way things unfolded throughout training camp.

Atlanta was already bracing for a suspension to James Pearce Jr., but the former first round selection getting an eight-game ban was a brutal blow following Jalon Walker's torn ACL. All of the sudden, a position that was once a strength became a critical weakness, and the team had to make a move.

They wound up pivoting to veteran pass rusher Za'Darius Smith, who played in just five games last season with the Philadelphia Eagles before announcing his retirement from the league. During a media availability at Falcons camp this week, Smith revealed the reason for his retirement and now return revolving around family health problems rather than not wanting to play football anymore.

Smith said that his initial decision to step away was because he received a phone call from his mother's doctor telling him she may not have much longer to live. Unimaginably, both his grandmother and father passed away as well shortly after he lost his mother.

After taking some time away, he eventually worked out with the Cleveland Browns this offseason before Atlanta came calling, and given that he is a native of Alabama, Smith was very happy to join the Falcons. Clearly, this season is going to be more personal than ever to him after going through an unbelievable amount of loss in such a short period, but it sounds like Smith is going to use football as his escape from his own personal tragedy and his happy place.

The Falcons as a result get a player who has produced at a high level in this league for a long time and been able to showcase a pass rushing prowess they are in desperate need of headed into the season.

Signing Smith made a position for Atlanta which looked to be a major hole a potential strength once again, especially after the return of Pearce in the second half of the year.

No matter the kind of season Smith has on the field though, he deserves a whole lot of credit for battling through what he has in the last year to return to the football field, and he now becomes a guy fans will be rooting even just a little bit extra for.