4 reasons Chicago Bears trading Roquan Smith makes sense

Roquan Smith has requested a trade from the Chicago Bears. While most fans want for the extension to come, it may be a bit tougher than some will think. If the front office does decide to move on from Roquan Smith, there could be some merit.

Here are some reasons why.

4. Linebackers do not age well

It is not as easy as saying that the linebacker is the running back of the defense, but it is close. The reality is that both positions take the brunt of hits over and over again, and in that case, it leads to more injuries and a shorter career. Smith has been healthy so far, but recent history shows that paying linebackers has not been a great bet.

The biggest linebacker contracts in free agency have been CJ Mosley, Kwon Alexander, Joe Schobert, Kyle Van Noy, and Cory Littleton. These are just since 2019, and only Mosley is still on the team he signed with, partly because he sat out the pandemic year of 2020.

It is not like teams extending their own has worked out, either. Deion Jones, Jaylon Smith, Anthony Barr, Myles Jack, and Zach Cunningham were all signed by the teams that drafted them. Jones is the only to currently be on the deal that he signed without getting released. Of course, the Falcons are trying to trade him and will probably release him soon.

Lastly, only three linebackers drafted in round one since 2009 have been able to get an extension with the team that drafted them. Even Luke Kuechly was a no-brainer decision to extend and he retired early. Most of these deals made sense at the time, this is just the nature of the position. The odds are that any extension Smith gets will end with him getting released before the end of it.