Getty Bears LB Roquan Smith
Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has been playing lights out so far this season, which is encouraging to see after the ups and downs he had in 2019. Smith tore his pectoral muscle last December, which ended his sophomore campaign, and he also dealt with a personal issue that forced him to miss the first game of his career earlier in the season.
So far, though, things have been different for the Bears’ former first round pick. Through the first six weeks of the season, Smith is fifth in the league in total tackles, he has a forced fumble, and he has seven tackles for loss — just one away from his career-high. He has also been extremely good in the passing game. He is currently fourth in the NFL in pass breakups at his position, and he’s coming off his best-ever game coverage-wise after he pretty much singlehandedly removed Mike Davis from the passing game in the Bears’ 23-16 win over the Panthers.
One-man wrecking crew. 💥
Tom Thayer breaks down how @RoquanSmith1 made his mark in our win vs. the Panthers.
@surface | #DaBears
Now playing well and apparently feeling good over a quarter of the way through his third season, Smith sent a message to both those who have stuck by him, as well as those who have not.
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Roquan Smith Shows Love to His Supporters
After the Bears’ Week 6 victory, Smith took to Twitter to send some love to the people who have stood by him through thick and thin. He also took a quick second to take a shot at the doubters and the haters, too.
“To all you that rolled with me after some adversity, I love you. To the ones that counted me out learn how to count mfs #NotDone,” Smith wrote.
The Bears selected Smith with their eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft, and after his rather quiet season in 2019, he entered this year feeling like he had quite a bit to prove.
“I’ve got a huge chip on my shoulder,” Smith said earlier this summer. “I’m just really excited. I don’t want much hype going into the year because I know my mindset and what I plan to do this upcoming season … I definitely feel like it’s gonna be my best year to date, and I feel like I’m gonna do some things. A lot of people count me out, so I’m gonna get back to who I really am.”
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Roquan Smith’s Recent Play Bodes Very Well for This Bears Defense…
Smith said after the Bears’ win against the Panthers that he sees something special in this Bears team, particularly the defense.
“I think we have an edge. It’s just moreso about our mentality. We haven’t played how we’d like to play in certain weeks but we’re moreso focused on building on the positive and continuing that throughout the year. I feel that the sky’s the limit. We can just continue to build on the positives and get better from our negatives,” he said.
With Eddie Goldman opting out this year, the Bears’ defense has struggled against the run at times, which makes Smith’s presence in the middle that much more important. If he continues to play at the level he played against Carolina, though, Chicago will likely remain a top five defense, and Smith should get his first Pro Bowl nod.
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