Ravens Star LB Finally Faces Former Team

It's been more than two and a half years since the Baltimore Ravens acquired Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears, yet the All-Pro linebacker has still yet to face his former team.

That won't be the case much longer, however.

The Ravens will play host to the Bears this season in Week 8, and best believe that's a game Smith has circled on his calendar.

"I'm very excited for that one, you know," Smith said during an appearance on NFL Network. "I have a couple guys over there that I still know, keep up with and a lot of my friends are still in Chicago. So, I know a lot of them are going to be here at the game. It's going to be one that I'm looking forward to for a little while now. I'm very excited about it so whenever and wherever we play them, I'm excited about that one."

Smith, 28, has been simply outstanding over his two and a half seasons with the Ravens. WIth 398 tackles in 41 games and three first-team All-Pro selections, he's established himself as not only the leader of Baltimore's defense, but arguably the best off-ball linebacker in the league as well. He's paid like it too, as he signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Ravens in January of 2023, just over two months after the trade.

The Bears, meanwhile, acquired second- and fifth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft in exchange for Smith, a decent return considering contract negotiations broke down. More importantly, though, they replaced Smith with free agent linebacker Tremaine Edmunds the following offseason. Edmunds, a two-time Pro Bowl selection earlier in his career with the Buffalo Bills, has been solid in Chicago, but he's certainly not Smith.

While Smith bears (pun intended) no ill will toward his former team, he'll definitely play with an extra chip on his shoulder against Chicago.

"Each and every guy who's lined up across from me, whether that's center, running back, (D’Andre) Swift that's my guy in college or a receiver coming across the middle or tight end, whoever," Smith said. "So, at the end of the day every single person has to get dealt with, in each and every game."

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