Roquan Smith is an American football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Born on April 8, 1997, he played college football at Georgia and was drafted  by the Bears in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. 

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Smith received honours in 2017 as a college athlete, including MVP of the SEC Championship Game and SEC Defensive Player of the Year from the Associated Press. As the first Georgia Bulldog to get the Butkus Award, he also made history. Smith made the decision to join the 2018 NFL Draft rather than use his last year of eligibility.

In the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Smith was selected by the Chicago Bears with the eighth overall choice. Contract disputes between the Bears and Smith’s representation CAA Football over language in his rookie contract regarding whether his guaranteed money would be reclaimed by the team if he was suspended due to the NFL’s latest rule. The new rule prohibited contact leading with the helmet. This caused a significant delay in the signing of his contract. The Bears preferred for decisions to be made by the league, while CAA fought for phrasing that would safeguard Smith’s guaranteed wages. This conflict was made worse by skepticism about the rule and the frequency of tackles in Smith’s position.

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On August 14, Smith and the Bears agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year, $18.47 million contract, which also included a $11.51 million signing bonus. In his draft class, he was the last first-round choice to sign with his team. Smith recorded his first career sack on Green Bay Packers quarterback DeShone Kizer during his NFL debut against the Packers in Week 1 on NBC Sunday Night Football. Smith had 121 tackles, five sacks, five passes defended, and one interception at the end of his rookie season.

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Smith’s fifth-year option was exercised by the Bears on April 27, 2021, securing a $9.7 million salary for the 2022 campaign. In a 16-14 loss against the Baltimore Ravens on November 21, Smith made a career-high total of 17 tackles, including two tackles for losses. Since Brian Urlacher made 19 stops in 2006, this was the most tackles made by a Bears player in a single game. Smith concluded the 2021 season with 163 total tackles, which was fifth-most in the NFL, and one interception. He was selected for both the second team All-Pro of the Associated Press and NFL.com.