It has been more than a year since Roquan Smith last played for the Chicago Bears, and the star linebacker is very, very grateful for that.
After his Baltimore Ravens dominated the Seattle Seahawks 37-3 last Sunday, Smith spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer about the way his career has changed since he was traded. He did so with some harsh comments about the current state of the Bears.
“It was bittersweet for me, just knowing Chicago and rightfully so. But if I would’ve stayed there, honestly, [I] wouldn’t have been able to compete for a title anytime soon,” Smith said. “And then when I came over [to Baltimore], it took me a while, like a couple of weeks, to really realize how stacked this team was, as well as how many good people there are on this team, and how they just bring in truly good people.”
Smith said he never wanted to leave Chicago but is happier now than he could have imagined.
“Man, it makes me so happy, just knowing my career is not going down the drain, in the sense of playing somewhere where I’m not truly competing for a title,” he added.
The Bears drafted Smith with the eighth overall pick in 2018. Smith made an immediate impact as a rookie, and it looked like he was poised to become the latest of a long line of legendary Chicago linebackers. Instead, the two sides had a falling out and Smith — who does not have an agent — publicly bashed the Bears over the way they handled contract extension talks.
Though the Bears went 12-4 in Smith’s first season, it was all downhill after that. They have not had a winning season since, while the Ravens are arguably the best team in the AFC. It is hardly a surprise that Smith prefers his current situation to his former one.
