Bears trade linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens, reports say

LAKE FOREST – For the second time in less than a week, the Bears have made a major trade involving one of their best defensive players.

Per numerous reports, the first from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the team is dealing linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens. This comes just one day ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears will receive a 2023 second and fifth round pick from Baltimore in exchange for Smith.

The teams have yet to confirm the move.

This comes after the Bears traded defensive end Robert Quinn, a 2021 Pro Bowler and second team All-Pro, to the Eagles last Wednesday for a 2023 fourth round pick.

A first round draft pick of the Bears in 2018 out of Georgia, Smith has played five seasons for the Bears and been one of their best defensive players during that time. He was twice named to the NFL All-Pro second team, doing so in 2020 and 2021, and was the Bears leading tackler the last four seasons.

Smith had the lead this season as he’s collected 83 tackles with 2 1/2 sacks, four tackles for loss, and a pair of interceptions. The linebacker had five tackles in what would end up being his 69th and final game regular season game for the Bears.

In his career, Smith finished with 607 tackles, 47 tackles for loss,16 1/2 sacks, 20 passes defended, and seven interceptions.

Some might have seen this move coming since Smith and new general manager Ryan Poles were never able to come to a long-term contract agreement. The fifth-year player even staged a “hold-in” for a good part of training camp before announcing that he would play out the season on the final year of his rookie deal.

Smith will now do so as a member of the Ravens.

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