Bears LB Roquan Smith to 'hold-in', won't report to training camp

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Smith will not participate in the Bears’ camp Tuesday, the scheduled day for veterans to report. He therefore represents the first known case of a ‘hold-in’ in 2022. Finances are at the heart of the move; Smith is set to play on the fifth-year option this season, which is valued at $9.74M.

A long-term deal has widely been viewed as the goal on both sides, given Smith’s ascendance into one of the league’s top young linebackers. In 2021, he ranked fifth in the NFL with 163 tackles, adding three sacks, an interception and three pass breakups. The idea of an extension has been in consideration for months, but little progress has clearly been made.

When asked about getting a deal finalized before the start of the 2022 campaign, new general manager Ryan Poles said in May:

“I don’t know if that’s how we’re going to handle it, but I would like to. Obviously the earlier you get to that, the better. But also with a new staff, we may wait a little bit, too.”

Rapoport adds that the 25-year-old has not received an offer that he would “remotely consider” to date, leading to his decision to sit out. The LB market hasn’t seen the upward trend of other position groups this offseason, but the deal given to Foyesade Oluokun in free agency (averaging $15M per year) could be used as a benchmark in negotiations.

The Bears have moved on from a number of expensive front seven veterans this spring, freeing up future cap space as they look to rebuild around a new core. Smith figures to be a central member of that group, but plenty of work apparently needs to be done before he is officially on the books for the long-term future.