Bears LB Roquan Smith requests trade

After being selected eighth overall out of Georgia in 2018, Smith led the Bears with his 121 combined tackles as a rookie and was third on the team with 5.0 sacks as well. Despite missing four games in 2019, Smith racked up a team-high 101 combined tackles and then in 2020, he paced Chicago in a host of categories including combined tackles (139) and tackles for loss (18), while tying for third in passes defended (seven) and sacks (4.0).

The 25-year-old recorded a team-best and career-high 163 combined tackles in 2021 and made Second Team All-Pro for the second consecutive season.

In March, the Bears traded six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Khalil Mack to the Las Vegas Raiders. If they were to lose Smith as well, they project to trot out the likes of new acquisitions Matthew Adams and Nicholas Morrow in their linebackers group.