The Bears went through a tumultuous offseason with their best defensive player.
Linebacker Roquan Smith abruptly requested a trade heading into his contract year after staying mum until the start of preseason games. He pulled no punches in explaining why he wanted out of the Windy City, either: he said the team "doesn't value" him.
There also was a strange subplot to this drama, and it had to do with Smith's "agent." Quotation marks are necessary because there is almost no record of the player's supposed representative.
Now, however, Smith appears fully committed and contract negotiations aren't taking up all the air in the room. He appeared to be in good spirits during the Bears' Week 1 win over the 49ers, so it doesn't appear there will be any hiccups this season.
The Sporting News looks at the Smith drama:
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Why did Roquan Smith request a trade from the Bears?
Smith displayed a jovial attitude heading into the preseason, but the statement he put out on Aug. 9 was pointed and painted the Bears in a very bad light.
"To the city of Chicago and all the Bears Fans worldwide, I have officially requested a trade; just writing these words is deeply painful," Smith wrote.
The rest of his statement:
I'm a kid from Macon County, Georgia. When you grow up playing football, you dream of making it to the NFL one day. However, playing the Linebacker position, you NEVER imagine getting drafted in the Top 10 by the Chicago Bears! I'm a HOMEGROWN Bear! A dream came true for me to have an opportunity to put that Bears' helmet on, wear the same jersey that legendary LB's did, it's an indescribable feeling.
Walking these hallways the past four years, you can feel the spirit, you feel the pressure to live up to that timeless history, that great legacy. I dreamed of playing like Wilbur Marshall, Singletary, Briggs, Urlacher, Butkus! Since the day I was drafted, I vowed to play this position at a level that upheld the standard that was set before me, to uphold that respect and honor, and I have.
Unfortunately, the new front office regime doesn't value me here. They've refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been "take it or leave it". The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it. I've been trying to get something done that's fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.
I wanted to be a Bear for my entire career, help this team bring a super bowl back to our city. However, they have left me no choice than to request a trade that allows me to play for an organization that truly values what I bring to the table.
I haven't had the chance to talk to the McCaskey family, and maybe they can salvage this, but as of right now I don't see a path back to the organization that I truly love.
There isn't a lot to read into that statement. Smith doesn't believe the team is negotiating in good faith. Officially, Smith represents himself, so first-year general Ryan Poles' negotiating seems to have rankled Smith.
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Why is Roquan Smith still playing for the Bears?
For one thing, holdouts are extremely rare. But there's another very good reason Smith hasn't been traded.
Part of the trade request process — gauging interest from other teams — would have to be handled by Smith, because he is his own agent. Reportedly, a man named Saint Omni was doing this at one point, but he would have been doing it in an unofficial capacity because he isn't certified by the NFL Players Association.
That's a lot of responsibility for a player who's going through training camp.
Smith announced shortly after his request that he intended to play out the season, although relations with the Bears still sound icy.
"There's no more offers at this time, and I don't think there will be during the season," Smith said. "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? So, that's my plan. … My full intention is to play this season and whatever happens happens. Whatever it is I have to go through this season, I'll do it chin up, chest out, sunsets, no regrets."
For what it's worth, Smith had a lot of fun in the Bears' rain-soaked Week 1 win:
Never too old to have some fun in the rain 😁☔ @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/kSTBLtiDQV
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) September 14, 2022
Smith will command a lot of money next offseason, that much is for certain. It's possible he'll seek a T.J. Watt-type deal, while the Bears appear to be trying to pay him like Shaquille Leonard. It's unlikely there will be a resolution this year. But don't expect Smith to take his foot off the gas hounding the ball because of that.