Roquan Smith not suiting up for the Chicago Bears is unfortunate. However, it has also granted the coaching staff an opportunity to give other linebackers on the roster extra snaps in practice and the preseason. One of the later additions to the roster was a young man named DeMarquis Gates. Hailing from Ole Miss, he's carved out a unique career. Rather than jump from practice squad to practice squad as a journeyman, Gates has played for different upstart spring leagues, including the AAF, XFL, and most recently, the USFL. He also had a stint in Canada.
Earlier this year, he was the defensive MVP of the eventual champion Birmingham Stallions. That was enough to garner interest from the Bears, who needed more depth at linebacker. Despite arriving late on August 6th, it looks like that didn't hamper his chances of making the team. In the preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, he made an immediate impact with three tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble.
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