Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has requested a trade out of Chicago, according to a statement released Tuesday via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The request comes after contract extensions negotiations between the fifth-year player and the franchise have grown stagnant, leading Smith to believe that the new leadership in Chicago “doesn’t value” him appropriately.
“The new front office regime doesn’t value me here,” Smith wrote in the statement, per Rapoport. “They’ve refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been ‘take it or leave it’. The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it. I’ve been trying to get something done that’s fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.
