LB Roquan Smith throws shade at Bears, implies Ravens trade saved his career

Ahead of the 2022 NFL trade deadline, Roquan Smith found himself in a vexing position.

He was the best player on a bad Chicago Bears team clearly still in the early stages of a rebuild and was on track to pick first in the 2023 draft. Fortunately for Smith, the Bears shipped him to the Baltimore Ravens at the end of October for a second- and a fifth-round pick.

One year later, the 26-year-old linebacker believes that trade not only ended up saving his career, but also reignited his competitive drive to chase a Super Bowl ring.

"It was bittersweet for me, just knowing Chicago and rightfully so, but if I would've stayed there, honestly, [I] wouldn't have been able to compete for a title anytime soon,” Smith told Sports Illustrated. “…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, 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."

In nine games with the Ravens following the midseason trade, Smith logged 86 tackles, five pressures, three hurries, three passes defensed, seven tackles for loss and two sacks as Baltimore finished with the No. 10-ranked defense and allowed the third-fewest points per game in the league.