Getty embers of the Chicago Bears defense including Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith, gang tackle an opponent.
Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has been performing like one of the top players at his position for years now — but will he get paid like one when it’s time for his contract extension?
Since entering the league as the Bears’ eighth overall pick in 2018, Smith has grown into one of the team’s top building blocks, leading Chicago in tackles in each of his four seasons. He has also quietly become one of the best LBs in the NFL.
Out of the top 15 tacklers in the NFL last year, here’s how #Bears LB Roquan Smith ranked:
• 3.6 missed tackle % (2nd)
• 71.2 comp. % allowed (1st)
• 76.8 pass rating allowed (1st)
• 5 QB hurries (1st)
• 3 sacks (2nd)
• 8 pressures (2nd)
Absurdly well-rounded linebacker.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported on May 18 that he expects “talks between the Bears and Smith to heat up sometime this summer.”
Fowler noted the team’s new general manager, Ryan Poles, is likely set to make retaining Smith a priority. “Even other Bears players close to free agency believe Smith is the priority for Chicago and new GM Ryan Poles,” Fowler added.
One ESPN analyst has laid out what he thinks Smith’s extension will look like, and while it’s not top LB money, it’s close.
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Smith Is Coming Off Another Standout Season
Smith led the team in tackles with 163 last season (95 solo), which ranked fifth in the NFL. He also had 12 tackles-for-loss, three pass breakups and an interception off Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow that he returned for a 53-yard touchdown Week 3.
He also continued his habit of getting into the backfield frequently, finishing with 3.0 sacks, nine pressures, a QB hit and five hurries last season, per Pro Football Focus. He has been both durable and consistent, playing over 1,000 snaps in each of the past two years, and he has had over 100 total tackles in each of his four seasons.
Roquan Smith, a QBs worst nightmare 😤😤😤😤
He has been solid in coverage, as well, allowing opposing quarterbacks an 87.5 passer rating in 2021, per PFF. With the kind of numbers Smith has put up, an extension is a given; The only question is how much he’ll get.
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Smith Predicted to Sign 4-Year, $72 Million Extension
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell thinks Smith is set to cash in — but Barnwell doesn’t think the 25-year-old linebacker is going to become the highest-paid LB in the league.
“Roquan Smith emerged as one of the league’s best middle linebackers in 2020, and at 25, he is young enough to still be a key player once the Bears come out of their rebuild,” Barnwell wrote on May 26. “I’m not sure he will top the deals signed by Bobby Wagner and C.J. Mosley at their respective peaks, but a four-year extension should come in at around $72 million.”
Currently, the highest-paid inside linebacker in the league is Darius Leonard of the Indianapolis Colts. He makes $19.7 million per year, and is followed by Mosley, who made $17 million last year, per Spotrac. Smith is negotiating on behalf of himself, electing not to have an agent, so it will be interesting to see whether Poles ponies up prior to the 2022 season or elects to wait until 2023.
The Bears picked up Smith’s fifth-year option — and Year 5 will be a big one. With a new defensive-minded head coach in Matt Eberflus, Smith will have to re-establish himself as the team’s defensive leader while also possibly playing for that extension. He says he’s ready for the challenge.
“I think that’s a heck of an opportunity to have,” Smith said on May 20. “Obviously resetting things and starting over fresh, new faces, new regime, so I think it’s a great opportunity to be the face of the new regime and doing whatever it takes to make this the best regime in Bears history. That’s my plan.”
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Bears Defensive Leader Predicted to Cash in With Huge New Deal