Bears linebacker Roquan Smith returned to practice Saturday, participating in part for the first time since his “hold-in.” He has agreed to play out his contract before hitting free agency in March.
Smith, who is guaranteed $9.7 million this season on his fifth-year option, wanted a long-term deal. When negotiations didn’t go as he wanted, Smith asked for a trade.
“I thought (the process) was very distasteful to say the least,” Smith said Saturday, via video from the team. “It wasn’t what I anticipated, nor what I expected from the situation. . . . Now I’m just shifting my focus to the season and be the best teammate I can be to those guys in the locker room. It’s the last year of my deal. I’m going to take it and run with it and bet on myself. Negotiations are over right now.”
Smith doesn’t have an agent, negotiating on his own behalf. He said the sides didn’t get close, which prompted him to rip General Manager Ryan Poles in a public letter Aug. 9.
“I see myself at a number, and they see me at a number,” Smith said. “We couldn’t agree. We can agree to disagree. But, hey, I would never accept a bad deal like I pretty much said, I would never accept a deal that I don’t feel like is worth what I’m worth. . . . It wasn’t a number that I needed, nor that I wanted.”
Smith understands the Bears could use the franchise tag on him in 2023, and he also understands how big of a season this is for him now that he didn’t get his deal.
“Obviously, the talks didn’t get too far,” Smith said. “They didn’t end in the way I wanted them to end. It’s going to be a big season for myself. At the end of the season, there’s a lot of different directions things could go, so I know I need to put myself and my body in the best possible situation for the team. I feel like with this time I have, it’ll be enough time for me to prepare myself for the season.”
Smith has 524 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, 17 pass breakups and five interceptions in four seasons.
