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Former Georgia star Roquan Smith requests trade from Chicago Bears

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•08/09/22•

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Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Roquan Smith situation in Chicago took a new turn on Tuesday. He wants out.

Smith, a former Georgia star, has requested a trade from the Bears, he said in a lengthy statement Tuesday morning. He’s been in contract negotiations throughout the offseason, but was holding in as the Bears started training camp late last month.

“To the city of Chicago and all the Bears Fans worldwide,” Smith wrote. “I have officially requested a trade; just writing these words is deeply painful. … 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.”

After tweeting Smith’s statement, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport provided more details about the negotiations, saying the offer is “backloaded” and has de-escalators in it.

In four years in the NFL, Smith has 524 total tackles, five interceptions and 14.0 sacks.

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The Bears drafted Smith No. 8 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft and he became a staple of the Chicago defense, becoming a two-time All-Pro during his time on the Lakefront. At Georgia, Smith became the first Georgia player to win the Dick Butkus Award in 2017 and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year that season. During his time in Athens, he totaled 252 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

He’s in the last year of his rookie contract and was working to sign an extension with the revamped front office.

Chicago moved on from former general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy after the 2021 season and brought in first-time GM Ryan Poles from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bears went 6-11 last year before making the sweeping changes.