This outcome felt inevitable for linebacker Roquan Smith and the Chicago Bears.
Smith rescinded his trade request Saturday and will play out the final year of his contract, just 11 days after declaring his desire to be dealt. That same day, Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced his preference was to keep Smith in Chicago.
Advertisement
It surely appears Poles meant it. Executives from eight teams told The Athletic over the past week the Bears never reached out to shop Smith. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean Poles didn’t quietly have conversations with other clubs, but word around the league was the Bears weren’t actively trying to move him.
Those executives added they also weren’t trying to acquire him due to the complexity of Smith’s situation.
Smith is set to earn $9.735 million this season on his fifth-year option and has publicly addressed his desire for an extension. It’s believed around the league Smith wants a contract in the neighborhood of $20 million in average annual value. Poles said Aug. 9 the Bears’ offer to Smith included “record-setting pieces of this contract.”
The rival executives polled by The Athletic were unanimous in their belief that Smith is a good player, albeit short of a great one, and none were interested in approaching the contract parameters they believed Smith coveted – on top of surrendering a draft pick in a trade.
Generally, if teams are going to hand out a massive contract to a non-quarterback, it’s for a pass rusher, cornerback or wide receiver. There are only four off-ball linebackers who make in excess of $15 million in average annual value: Indianapolis’ Shaquille Leonard ($19.7 million), San Francisco’s Fred Warner ($19.05 million), the New York Jets’ C.J. Mosley ($17 million) and Jacksonville’s Foyesade Oluokun ($15 million). There are only another nine off-ball linebackers making at least $10 million per year.
A few executives said one scenario would’ve made sense for a trade — if a contender believed they were a linebacker short of a great defense, could give up a third-round pick (if that’s what the Bears would even hypothetically accept) and let Smith play out the final year before addressing his future in free agency.
Advertisement
But really, they most likely scenario — and probably the most beneficial for Smith — was always going to be staying with the Bears to play out the season. New head coach Matt Eberflus is expected to use Smith in a similar fashion to Leonard during their time together with the Colts. If Smith can capture a comparable amount of success to Leonard, he’ll set himself up to be well paid in free agency.
Now that Smith has agreed to recommit to the Bears, he’s going all in on that idea, and it was the most reasonable outcome from the start.
(Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
