Just How Long Would Roquan Smith Sit?

Roquan Smith was back watching Bears practice from the sidelines on Tuesday and his holdout continues, now at three weeks and counting.

There have been many NFL holdouts go on into the regular season and beyond.

The Bears are hoping it doesn't last so long with linebacker Roquan Smith and at least they can say they are seeing him on a daily basis. He's still a hold-in and not a holdout.

Smith attended practice Tuesday without working out. He hadn't been seen at Monday's practice but Bears coach Matt Eberflus says Smith has been in the building all along.

Eberflus can't say he is optimistic about an end to the impasse in negotations for a Smith contract extension, but at least no one has shut the door on talking to the other side. And the Bears are planning to take Smith with them on the trip to Seattle Wednesday.

"Well I mean to bridge any gap you're going to need communication, right, so that's the first step," Eberflus said. "You know I think that's, in any communication, in any relationship, you need communication so I would just say that."

Eberflus wouldn't say whether the Bears are fining Smith on a daily basis now, as is their right under the CBA because he has a contract. However, the Bears coach seemed to suggest no fines had been levied to date.

"Yeah, you have that, there's no question. That's why it's in place right?" he said about fines. "That's why it's in place. So like I said we'll cross that road when we get to there, we'll talk about it as an organization as we go through day-by-day."

Some of the more drastic holdouts included one by tackle Trent Williams in 2019 with Washington. His lasted much like Joey Galloway's 1999 holdout did, right up to the trade deadline, and then ended at the end of October.

Le'Veon Bell in 2018 had the ultimate holdout. He opted not to play all season and by next season he wound up with the Jets after he had been franchise-tagged. This can't happen to Smith yet, as he already has a contract he must uphold this year unless he wants to be fined $572,000 for missed games and $40,000 for missed practice.

It's only in very few cases  when  the player holding out ever actually makes up for the money and time lost and steps back in where he left off in his career. In Bell's case, he never really was the same player.

Bears lore has the classic cases of safety Todd Bell and edge player Al Harris, who decided to sit out the entire season. It happened to be the 1985 season, the one magical run to the Lombardi Trophy the Bears have made.

Considering the Bears are rebuilding, this appears an unlikely possibility for Smith. They have the upper hand because not only is he under contract, but they can finish last in the division with him just as easily as they can without him. And the GM and coach will still be sitting in good shape with ownership because they're in their honeymoon period in the first year.

Smith had requested a trade but GM Ryan Poles says his intention is signing Smith, who doesn't have a sanctioned agent to negotiate on his behalf after firing his agency. An uncertified person known as Saint Omni is assisting him in negotiations.

The Bears as a team do not seem to be impacted at the moment, as they go through work with Matthew Adams playing Smith's weakside linebacker spot.

"As far as like the entire team, I can't speak for them, I'll speak for myself," linebacker Nicholas Morrow said. "For me, I think, you know he's in the building, he's been in the meetings, he's been attentive in the meetings.

"We've talked about ball and whenever he gets out there, he'll get out there."

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