Something weird is going on with Roquan Smith. The Chicago Bears linebacker caught a ton of people by surprise on Sunday. After practicing all week, he was suddenly declared doubtful for the game against Minnesota and did not play. The only thing the team was willing to offer was that it was due to "personal reasons." Cryptic is the only way to describe the entire mess. By the look of things, something happened that the team didn't want going public.
I recently posted an article that showed a vehicle that may belong with Smith being involved in a rear-end collision on Saturday evening. Some claim the car belongs to Smith and there is speculation alcohol might have been involved. There is no concrete proof of this as yet, but it would certainly explain the Bears' subsequent actions, benching him as punishment for his reckless behavior.
This rumor certainly has gained traction. A user on Reddit claimed that Smith left a hotel in a Ferrari that is the same make and model as the one involved in the crash. While no official outlets have yet confirmed, the circumstantial evidence is certainly starting to pile up.
All anybody can say is the status of Smith on the field remains in limbo. When asked about whether the linebacker will travel with the team to London for a game against the Oakland Raiders, head coach Matt Nagy refused to commit to anything. His words to WBBM News Radio were short and curt.
“We’ll see. We’re still working through all that.”
Roquan Smith has full support of teammates regardless
When it comes to his teammates, they're just as in the dark about Smith's situation. Danny Trevathan put it best when asked after the win.
"I don't know what's going on. Nobody knows. We're just here for him. I'm sure he'll be all right. He's a good dude. We just got to be here for him."
If this situation were really serious, the information would already be out by now. This feels like something the Bears prefer to keep in-house and away from the prying eyes of the media. Either way, the known facts are this. Smith missed one game and is not entirely certain for another. If he is indeed out, then backup Nick Kwiatkoski will get the start again. He finished Sunday with nine tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a sack.
