Roquan Smith: Trade to Ravens from Bears Kept My Career from 'Going Down the Drain'

A little over a year after his trade from the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith doesn't have any regrets about leaving the Windy City behind.

The 2022 All-Pro called the move "bittersweet" in an interview with The MMQB's Albert Breer but added he "wouldn't have been able to compete for a title anytime soon." The Ravens provided a stark contrast.

"And when I just think about it from the perspective of having the opportunity to compete for one year in and year out with the talent we have," he said. "Man, it makes me so happy, just knowing my career is not going down the drain, in the sense of playing somewhere where I'm not truly competing for a title."

Even Bears fans probably won't dispute the characterization. Chicago is tied for the NFL's second-worst record at 2-7, and missing the playoffs for the third straight season is all but inevitable.

Yet another reset could beckon as well. The Bears could plausibly have a new head coach, a new starting quarterback and perhaps even a new general manager in 2024.

Rebuilds can unfold relatively quickly in the NFL. The Detroit Lions were a three-win team in 2021, and now they're leading the division. Chicago hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt in that regard, though. The organization has been stuck in the same cycle of futility for more than a decade.

A contract dispute spurred Smith to request a trade from the Bears ahead of the 2022 campaign. He subsequently signed a five-year, $100 million extension with Baltimore.

To the 26-year-old's point, committing long-term to Chicago would've netted him a nice payday but left him some distance from contention for the foreseeable future. The Ravens reached the playoffs in 2022, and this year they're tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC's best record (7-2).

Maybe Smith never wins a Super Bowl in Baltimore, but his trade clearly put him in stronger position on that front.