The Chicago Bears traded midfielder Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2nd and 5th round picks. It initially appeared the team would not trade their talented linebacker, but the Ravens’ offer was enough to get the deal done a day before the NFL’s 2022 trade deadline. Last offseason, the linebacker and the team did not agree about how much he would earn in a potential contract extension. Smith initially held out, but returned to the team after it became clear the deal would not go through.
Compensation update: Bears trade LB Roquan Smith to Ravens in exchange for second-round and fifth-round picks, according to source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2022
This season with the Chicago Bears, Roquan Smith had 52 solo tackles, 83 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, three passes defensed and two interceptions, which he returned for 22 yards. Smith currently leads the NFL in tackles, and only Bobby Wagner has more tackles than him over the last five seasons. There’s no word on Baltimore’s long-term plans for the linebacker, but they likely hope to keep him long-term after giving up valuable draft capital for him. In Smith’s eyes, he owed it to the other linebackers and himself to accept a deal that recognized him for what he did on the field. Baltimore will have to give him that if they hope to keep him.
