Mike Singletary Believes He Can Fix Roquan Smith. Wait, What?

Mike Singletary is one of the 3-4 greatest linebackers in Chicago Bears history. That is saying something given the legacy this franchise has at that position. A two-time Defensive Player of the Year. A Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion. "Samurai" Mike cast a long shadow in this city prior to the arrival of Brian Urlacher. So one can imagine he'd have an opinion on the newest generation to play the position. Dan Pompei of The Athletic did a recent column on Singletary and his ongoing mission to become an NFL head coach again. Especially in Chicago. He desperately wants the Bears job. In fact, he even has a plan for them, laying out to Pompei exactly what he'd do if he got the nod. Naming permanent captains to improve accountability. Reforging the offensive system around the talents of Justin Fields. Embracing a more physical identity.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was his concerns regarding Roquan Smith.

Of middle linebacker Roquan Smith, Singletary says, “Right now he’s at a crossroads with being great and just being another good linebacker.” Singletary believes Smith, like many players, lacks proper technique.

This is not something Bears fans probably would've expected somebody to say about Smith. Based on what they've seen, the young linebacker is emerging as a superstar. Somebody that experts around the league see as a budding Hall of Famer. His 163 tackles were a career-high in 2021 and he added three sacks with a pick-six on top of it. The numbers he has put up through his first four seasons are comparable to Urlacher. So for Singletary to basically say he isn't anywhere close to what he should be is eye-opening. One can't argue with him either. Few are a better authority on linebacker play than him. Not just because he is one of the greatest to ever play the position, but also because he coached it for several years in the NFL. In his mind, Smith isn't playing anywhere close to his potential and that might end up costing him greatness. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/@RoquanSmith1-TO-THE-HOUSE-️-CINvsCHI-DaBears.mp4"][/video]

Mike Singletary likely will never achieve his dream

While he may be right about Smith and his still incomplete game, the reality is there isn't much the Bears legend can do about it. Despite reaching out to both Bill Polian and Ted Phillips, he isn't likely to even get an interview for the top job. Especially after the team just hired Ryan Poles as GM. He is in total control of the coaching search and is unlikely to stake his reputation on a guy that hasn't held a meaningful NFL job since 2013. Every time Mike Singletary has tried his hand at head coaching, it's been a failure. He was 18-22 during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers, 2-6 with the Memphis Express in the defunct AAFC league, and 1-21 for Trinity Christian Academy. Despite his leadership qualities, there is not enough evidence to suggest a team should take a chance on him. That is unfortunate because his taking over the Bears would've been an amazing story.

The second coming of Mike Ditka in a way.

As for Smith, there is really just one way Singletary could help him now. That being the Bears hiring him as a linebackers coach. This idea is far more feasible than anything else. He is qualified for the position and has a proven resume for doing it. Better still, he'd be able to devote his entire focus to that position rather than the entire team. Something for the next head coach to at least consider.