CHICAGO BEARS PLAY BY PLAY FULL
CHICAGO BEARS PLAY BY PLAY PRO

CHICAGO BEARS PLAY BY PLAY FULL

Times are changing and I feel like players want to be at the table to have full transparency to know what's actually going on, what's being said, because a lot of people can say a lot of different things but when you're there yourself, you see it with your own eyes, you know for a fact what's going on.'Īsked whether he still has a desire to be traded, Smith noted that he has since shifted his focus toward the 2022 season in Chicago after his trade request was declined. 'I think that's just a bunch of excuses when people say that. 'No, I don't regret not having an agent throughout this process,' Smith said. He defended his decision on Saturday to go through negotiations without outside representation. Smith has represented himself without an NFLPA certified agent since the 2020 season. 'I have a team of advisers and Saint is someone I know, I trust and has my best interest at heart,' Smith said.

Sources told ESPN that the Bears did not grant Smith permission to seek a trade. Last week, the NFL's management council sent a memo to all 32 teams stating that Saint Omni, a non-NFLPA-certified agent, had been contacting teams on behalf of Smith, which is prohibited by Article 48 of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. Smith says he has not been fined by the Bears for the practices he skipped after he was removed from the PUP list upon passing a physical, which came one day after his trade request.

CHICAGO BEARS PLAY BY PLAY PRO

So he's been a pro that way for sure.'Īfter reporting to training camp on time with the expectation that he would not practice until he received a new deal, Smith was immediately placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list with an undisclosed injury. You know, asking questions in meetings, helping the younger players when he's been out. He's been in the meetings, thoroughly there, mentally there. The Bears coach said he does not consider Smith to be disgruntled over how contract talks played out. He did not participate in the team portion of practice and is in a ramp-up period, according to Matt Eberflus. Smith went through stretching and nearly all individual drills with Chicago's linebackers. The Bears held a non-padded practice on Saturday two days after their 27-11 preseason win at Seattle. The linebacker said there are no more offers on the table and doesn't anticipate that there will be during the season, thus his decision to return to practice and begin preparations for Chicago's Week 1 opener versus San Francisco. Smith declined to specify an amount or the specific number he was looking to be paid on his next deal but claimed that the Bears put de-escalators in their offers.

I'm moving past it now and I'm focused on the season and going out there and enjoying the time with my guys because that's who I truly care about.' 'In a sense it's like, hey, you bust your ass, you may get rewarded in a sense. 'I think it was just more so not coming to an agreement when I feel like I've busted my ass so long here and not being rewarded with something I thought was rightfully deserved,' Smith said. NFL preseason Week 2 takeaways: Falcons' QBs air it out, Giants' Daniel Jones looks poised.

The former first-round pick, who represented himself throughout negotiations, previously said that he had been trying to work out a deal since April. 9 in a written statement after accusing the Bears of not negotiating in good faith over a contract extension. 'But now, I'm just shifting my focus to the season and more so just focused on being the best teammate I can be to those guys in the locker room.' what I expected from the situation, but I'm grateful for the fans, all the loyal fans and everyone, the players as well in the locker room and the city of Chicago that stood behind me throughout this process. 'I thought it was very distasteful, to say the least,' Smith said of contract talks between himself and the Bears. Smith, 25, said he plans to play out the final year of his rookie contract, which is set to pay him $9.7 million on his fifth-year option, and that negotiations are 'over right now.' Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith ended his hold-in on Saturday and participated in practice for the first time during training camp.

Chicago bears play by play