Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith seems beyond relieved he no longer plays for the Chicago Bears.
In a divisive November 2022 move, Bears general manager Ryan Poles traded Smith to the Ravens for second- and fifth-round picks. Since arriving in Baltimore, Smith has continued his stellar play, getting named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in 2022. He was also a first-time Pro Bowl selection last year.
In a November 6 interview with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Smith spoke bluntly about his time in the Windy City. It’s clear he’s glad to be in Baltimore now.
“Man, it’s pretty crazy thinking back to when I was initially traded,” Smith told Breer. “It was bittersweet for me, just knowing Chicago and rightfully so. But if I would’ve stayed there, honestly, [I] wouldn’t have been able to compete for a title anytime soon. And then when I came over here, it took me a while — like a couple of weeks — to really realize how stacked this team was, as well as how many good people there are on this team, and how they just bring in truly good people.”
Roquan Smith: I’m Happy My Career Isn’t Going Down the Drain
One year ago today, the Ravens acquired Roquan Smith from the Bears for a 2nd-round pick, a 5th-round pick, and A.J. Klein
The move has worked out in every way, with Smith providing incredible on-field play and leadership while fitting in seamlessly
The Bears selected Smith with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft. He spent his first four seasons in Chicago, and entering Year 5, he held out of training camp in hopes of working out a new contract extension. That didn’t happen.
Instead, tensions arose between Smith and Poles, who was in his first year as Bears GM. Smith publicly requested a trade in August 2022 after negotiations stalled, and Poles did not grant that request until the trade deadline on October 31.
Now, over a year later, Smith, whose Ravens sit atop a competitive AFC North with a 7-2 mark, is glad to play for a consistent winner.
“When I just think about it from the perspective of having the opportunity to compete for one year in and year out with the talent we have. Man, it makes me so happy, just knowing my career is not going down the drain, in the sense of playing somewhere where I’m not truly competing for a title,” Smith told Breer.
The Ravens LB has a point. The Bears are one of the worst teams in the NFL again this season. After finishing with a league-worst 3-14 record last year, Chicago is currently in last place in the NFC North with a 2-7 mark. The Bears haven’t won a playoff game since the 2010 postseason. The Ravens have missed the playoffs just once in the last five years, last winning a postseason game in 2020.
Roquan Smith Having Another Excellent Season With Ravens
Roquan Smith is processing the game at a different level than 99% of people that play the sport.
Killed the 2-min warning himself by letting the runner get up. Preventer offense from getting set and e getting an extra play off
Smith, who is just 26 years old, is having another All-Pro-caliber season. So far through nine games, he has 87 total tackles (three for loss), three QB hits, 1.5 sacks and five passes defensed.
The former Bears LB is currently fourth in the league in tackles. He signed a five-year contract extension with the Ravens last year worth up to $100 million, with $60 million guaranteed. Instead of giving him that money, the Bears elected to sign LBs Tremaine Edmunds (four years, $72 million with $50 million guaranteed) and T.J. Edwards (three-years, $19.5 million with $7.9 million guaranteed).
While Smith is better than both Edmunds and Edwards, it’s too early to gauge what the two new Bears linebackers can bring to Chicago’s defense. Edwards in particular is coming on of late. His 100 total tackles rank second in the league. Edmunds is also starting to get acclimated, so it’ll be interesting to see how both fare in the latter half of the season.
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Roquan Smith Obliterates Bears With Latest Comments