This NFL off-season has been jam packed with big news, trades, signings and utter craziness, so one bit of news that somewhat got swept under the rug was two-time Second Team All-Pro Linebacker Roquan Smith requesting a trade from the Chicago Bears. At this point, it's hard to blame Smith, who's been outstanding in four NFL seasons to date, but made the shock request because he truly believed that "the new front office regime doesn't value me here".
Unfortunately for Smith, the Bears didn't accommodate his request, and instead of holding out, he reported to camp on August 20th, proclaiming that he has withdrawn his request and will play out the remainder of his contract with the Bears. It's clear that Chicago didn't want to trade him from the time the request was made, and first year General Manager Ryan Poles has made it clear that he wants No. 58 in Chicago long-term.
#Bears star LB Roquan Smith, who returned to practice for the first time after an emotional and intense contract situation, now plans to play out his contract, I’m told. His deal runs through 2022.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 20, 2022
He’ll be full go moving forward.
That may not happen, as teams can always use linebacker's like Roquan Smith, who can change a game in an instant, but for now, he has settled on playing out the season with the Bears, saying he won't bring up a trade request for his fifth year in the NFL, saying "my focus has shifted to the season, so that's what I'm focused on right now. It's been an amazing four years and, hey, five, why not make it special?"
This is something that is bound to come up again in the future, as Chicago may see no choice but to trade him at the deadline, as the potential for future building blocks in the draft may be too much to pass up, but for now, they remain hopeful that a long-term deal can get done. Either way, it seems that both sides are going to put their differences aside for the 2022 season, and while it may break down again in the future, it seems things are going to remain professional in Chicago.
Photo Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
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