While linebacker Roquan Smith likely won’t see any preseason action for the Chicago Bears, the chances of him playing in Week 1 of the regular season are good.
Coach Matt Nagy spoke about Smith, who the Bears took eighth overall in April’s NFL Draft. He said that while Smith is unlikely to play in the preseason finale on Thursday against the Buffalo Bills, Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers is a distinct possibility.
“I think there’s still a good chance there,” Nagy said, per Larry Mayer of Bears.com. “[It’s] day-by-day with him. Right now we’ve stacked two in a row for the positive, for the good. Let’s just keep that thing going. If he’s able to play and we feel good about it, trust me, we’ll give him an opportunity to get in there.”
Smith had a monster year for Georgia in 2017. He recorded 6.5 sacks and was in on 137 tackles for the Bulldogs, including 14 for a loss.
But after getting drafted, Smith was a holdout well into training camp. So, he’s a little behind the eight-ball. But good practices are certainly a sign that he’s going in the right direction.
The Bears could certainly use him in Week 1. Chicago opens the season against Aaron Rodgers and company at Lambeau Field. Obviously the Bears can use as much help as they can get, especially on the defensive end.