Chicago Bears: 5 Players who must put up or shut up in Week 1

Roquan Smith needs to set the tone in the middle for the Chicago Bears

The last player the Chicago Bears need to bring the heat this season is Roquan Smith. Smith had a bumpy start to his career here in Chicago as he held out part of his rookie training camp. This likely delayed him from seeing starts in 2018, but his talent forced the Bears to keep him on the field. Smith started 14 games in 2018 and finished with 121 combined tackles (89 solos) and five sacks. Things were slightly less impressive for Smith though in 2019.

After a stellar rookie campaign, many thought Smith would transcend into Chicago Bears linebacker fame with the likes of Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher. Those expectations might have been a bit lofty since the scheme is different and Smith is not a true middle linebacker, but still, Smith should be a top linebacker in the NFL. He has that pedigree.

Unfortunately, Smith did not see that transformation. In fact, he somewhat regressed in his sophomore season. Smith missed time due to an undisclosed personal matter that caused an uproar throughout Bears social media and analysts. The secrecy made many wonder if he was suffering from a mental health issue. He was then placed on injured reserve in December with a torn pectoral muscle.

Smith still finished the 2019 season with solid weekly numbers. Had he been able to play all 16 games, his numbers would have been similar to his 2018 campaign. His missed tackle rate actually improved in 2019 too. That said, Smith still has this dark cloud over his name as someone who has not lived up to the hype. It may not be fair, but he needs a strong Week 1 game and 2020 season.