Do not let the stat sheet fool you. This Chicago Bears defender needs to take a seat until fully healthy.
No. I am not talking about Mitchell Trubisky, I am also not here to speculate what personal issue Roquan Smith might be dealing with right now. I can only speak to what I know and what I perceive. Right now, what I know is that the Chicago Bears did not play Roquan Smith versus the Vikings because of a personal issue. That player has not been the same ever since. He is not playing the way he did in 2018.
I have said this before and I will say it again, I do not know if Roquan Smith is dealing with some sort of mental illness. His personal matter is his and I will not try to guess at what it is he is dealing with on a daily basis. Whatever it is though, it is clearly affecting his play on the field. His personal issue might be affecting his preparation and concentration. Everyone needs to realize personal issues and stress can severely affect us both physically and mentally.
Now, I said that I will not speculate what he is dealing with, but I will speak to what I have dealt with in my lifetime. Let me point out that mental illness, by the way, could be as simple as depression. As someone who has been diagnosed clinically depressed and worked my way through it after years of letting it affect me, I can at least relate to what it is like to have a personal matter affect my daily life.
After years of pretending to be completely happy, an incident led to me finally telling my wife that I needed help. I was not suicidal, but I was losing interest in everything. Depression does not mean that you are unhappy all the time. Many things made me happy, but the happiness was not sustainable. I needed help and I turned to the person who has been my rock for the last 17 years.
I started seeing both a psychiatrist and a therapist. After roughly a year and a half of psychiatry with medication and almost two full years of therapy, I am proud to admit that I have overcome my depression. Mental health is very important and I not only applaud others who get help, but I find sharing my experiences can help others as well.
Being aware of my mental health is important, as I do not want to slip back into a depressed state of mind ever again. When I go through something severe, I will go see my therapist for a refresher course on ways to cope. Coping strategies are very important. Without them, I could find myself back in the same place I was in roughly three years ago.
Now, we know that Roquan is dealing with a personal issue. It could be mental health-related or it could not. However, when he posts things like this on Twitter, I worry about his state of mind.
Right now, based on his performance on the field, my opinion is that Smith needs to not be playing football. At the very least, he should not be starting. With the way the Chicago Bears have been struggling with the run, it might be best to bring in Nick Kwiatkoski.
If you look at the stat sheets, Smith looks fine in terms of his tackle numbers. They are not great every week, but not awful either. However, if you watch the film, he is not playing with the same tenacity he had in college or during his rookie year. The play when he went one-on-one against Teddy Bridgewater comes to mind. He stood there waiting for Bridgewater.
Normally, Smith would have just plowed into Bridgewater. This would have caused the Saints quarterback to not only take a hit that would make him think twice about running again, but it would also have stopped the first down. This was not the only time we saw this though. Too often Smith is taking on contact from a lineman instead of rushing through or around.
The defense is hurting from losing Akiem Hicks. However, if they play Nick Kwaitkoski, they at least have a chance at stopping the run. Right now, he might be the better option at linebacker until Roquan Smith gets right. This could go on all season, to be honest. Remember, it took me over a year, and I still have to be conscious of my thoughts and actions.
We as Chicago Bears fans need to remember, no matter what Roquan Smith is dealing with right now. Whether it is the loss of a friend, a concussion or a mental wellness issue, we need to support him as fans. Football is great. We all love it. However, a person’s wellbeing is of much greater importance. We here at BearGogglesOn wish Smith seeks the help he needs for his personal matter and either takes a seat or backs up Kwiatkoski until he works through everything.