The Chicago Bears removed Roquan Smith from the PUP list on Wednesday despite the linebacker requesting a trade earlier in the week. This action allowed the Bears to fine Smith if he choses to stay out of practice, but the linebacker beat the system thus far.
On Thursday, Smith was dressed but standing on the sidelines, putting head coach Matt Eberflus in a problematic situation. If Smith continues to hold himself out of practice, discipline will likely come from the organization.
Is Roquan Smith at fault in his contract dispute with the #DaBears? He doesn’t have an agent…@tannerkern_ gave his thoughts on today’s @CHFFStats Show#NFL #NFLTwitter #NFLTrainingCamp pic.twitter.com/iqiLeMKd1M
— Cold Hard Football Facts (@CHFFStats) August 11, 2022
After practice, Eberflus commented on the situation.
“I’m not gonna get into the details of what discipline is there, he said. But we will certainly work through that when the time comes. We expect all of our healthy players to practice.”
Smith does not have an agent, so he is leading his contract negotiations, which is never a good idea. NFL contracts are very intense, and all players should have representation. Nevertheless, he still was not happy with how the negations progressed.
Smith declared the Bears did not negotiate in good faith throughout the offseason discussions. He said GM Ryan Poles and the organization made take-it-or-leave-it offers, which was terrible for the linebacker and the overall position market.
Smith is a player who can set the standard for salaries at the linebacker position. He was selected eighth overall in 2018 and has gone on to become a two-time second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021. Smith is entering the fifth year of his rookie contract and is looking for a hefty extension.
Despite Smith’s desire for a trade, Poles and the Bears are still looking to reach an extension and keep the linebacker in Chicago. This would be best for the franchise as Smith helped the unit rank high in many Cold Hard Football Facts Proprietary Stats.
The Bears finished the 2022 campaign with the eighth-ranked Defensive Rusher Rating unit in the NFL. Stopping the run is critical in the NFL and a specialty of Smith. Chicago opens the preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday at Soldier Field, and they open the 2022 campaign at home versus the San Francisco 49ers on September 11.
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Tanner Kern breaks down the biggest news from the NFL world, discusses fantasy football stategy, and gives his future bets for the 2022 season on the debut of the CHFF Show.