When the Chicago Bears traded linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens back in 2022, it sent shockwaves through Halas Hall. For tight end Cole Kmet, then in his third season with the team, the deal was more than just another roster move, it was a moment of realization about the harsh realities of professional football.
BREAKING: Bears trade LB Roquan Smith to Ravens. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/zSYKHPShUM
— NFL (@NFL) October 31, 2022
“It was almost disbelief,” Kmet said via Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. “You just couldn’t believe it. It was kind of my first moment of realizing stuff has changed over from Ryan (Pace) to Ryan (Poles). It was a realization that really, at the end of the day, anybody is up for grabs.”
Trading away Smith, who had been a team captain and the leader of the defense, came shortly after the Bears also dealt veteran defensive end Robert Quinn. Both were locker room cornerstones, and their departures left a noticeable void for a young team still searching for an identity at the time.
Chicago Bears Tight End Cole Kmet Reflects on Roquan Smith Trade and Its Lasting Impact on the Bears
Kmet, who has now grown into one of Chicago’s more vocal leaders himself, vividly remembers how much Smith’s presence meant to the team.
“Roquan really was the Bear. He would always do the pregame speeches. He was the unequivocal leader of the locker room and spirit in the locker room. I’ve got a lot of respect for Roquan. When I was here initially, we went (5-1) to start my rookie year (2020) and it was Roquan leading the charge with the defense.”
For players like Kmet, the trade served as a sobering reminder that the NFL is as much as a business as it is a brotherhood.
“It was surprising and shocking,” Kmet admitted, “but you come to realize that maybe all but five or six people in this league can be traded.”
A Trade That Reshaped Two Teams
From the Bears’ perspective, Poles made the move to gain future assets and build toward long-term success. But before he could sell the vision to fans and media, he had to explain it to the locker room, which required both honesty and empahty.
“He actually pulled a few of us upstairs to tell us,” Kmet recalled. “The news had already gotten out but he said, ‘Hey, this is a decision we felt like we had to make for the organization going forward.’ He understood some guys wouldn’t be very happy with that at the time. I think Ryan understands the emotional aspect and the relationship aspect and I don’t think it was easy for him to do either. I thought he handled it well in terms of how he portrayed it to the locker room and making sure guys understood.”
The move also dramatically shifted the trajectory of Smith’s career. Once he arrived in Baltimore, Smith became the tone-setter for a defense that already boasted plenty of playmakers. Wide receiver Devin Duvernay, who was with the Ravens when they traded for Smith and is now with the Bears, remembers the day when Baltimore traded for Roquan.
“I remember the day (Nov. 1, 2022) we traded for him. We got the alert and it was, ‘Damn, we’re getting Roquan Smith!’ His impact was big. Sideline to sideline player. He was a tone stter for sure. He took over quickly as one of the leaders. Guys followed him.”
Smith on Facing His Former Team
Nearly two years laster, Smith will face his former team for the first time since the trade. It’s a matchup that has been circled on his calendar for months.
“I have a couple guys over there I still know,” Smith said on NFL Network earlier this year. “It’s going to be one I’ve been looking forward to for a little while now.”
Smith also made it clear he’ll be ready to bring his trademark intensity against his old teammates: “Each and every guy who’s out there, lined up across from me. Whether that’s center, running back (D’Andre) Swift my guy from college (Georgia), a receiver across the middle, a tight end, whoever. Every single guy has to get dealt with.”
It’s going to be a fun matchup when the Bears travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens, and hope is Kmet is a full go after suffering a back injury in the win against the New Orleans Saints.
As for Smith, he said he believes he’ll play on Sunday and returned to practice from a hamstring injury and has a “tremendous amount of respect” for the Bears.
Main Image: Peter Casey – Imagn Images
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