The Bears will be without their defensive leader when training camp begins on Tuesday. According to Ian Rapoport, Roquan Smith is set to hold out as he awaits a contract extension. Smith is currently on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.
Smith has led the Bears in tackles every year of his career. Last season, he set a career high with an incredible 163 stops, including three sacks. He also scored his first defensive touchdown last season, on a pick-six against the Bengals.
This isn’t the first time Smith has held out of training camp, either. He missed nearly a month of work in his rookie season while arguing with the team over language in his contract. In the end, it didn’t seem like Smith was any worse off for missing the time. In his very first NFL snap, Smith sacked Packers QB DeShone Kizer.
Currently, Smith’s contract ranks 41st among all linebackers, per Spotrac. He’s due to make $9.735 million. Darius Leonard currently has the most-lucrative contract among inside linebackers, with a five-year, $98.5 million deal.