NEWSLETTER
The Bears were without one of their best defenders during practices leading up to their Week 3 matchup against the Texans, as linebacker Roquan Smith was dealing with a hip injury.
But even though the hip issue kept Smith off of the practice field, it won’t cause him to miss today’s game. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has the scoop:
It has been a wonky start to the 2022 football year for Smith. He sat out of most of training camp with a hold-in that coincided with floundering extension talks. There was a public airing of grievances once Smith made his practice debut. But a minor hamstring injury that kept him from suiting up in the preseason finale. And now, a hip injury sidelined him during the practice week.
But in the end, one of the Bears’ captains will be active on Sunday. That is what matters most now. Smith’s play has been inconsistent through two games (not unsurprising given a topsy turvy path he took to get to this point). However, he is still the team’s top tackler. And after last week’s defeat, I expect him to come out firing on all cylinders in doing his part to keep the Bears from dropping consecutive games.
