Bears LB Smith Ends Hold-In – Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith ended his hold-in on Saturday and participated in practice for the first time during training camp. Smith, 25, said he plans to play out the final year of his rookie contract, which is set to pay him $9.7 million on his fifth-year option, and that negotiations are “over right now.” “I thought it was very distasteful, to say the least,” Smith said of contract talks between himself and the Bears. “Wasn’t what I anticipated, nor … what I expected from the situation, but I’m grateful for the fans, all the loyal fans and everyone, the players as well in the locker room and the city of Chicago that stood behind me throughout this process. It means a lot to myself. “But now, I’m just shifting my focus to the season and more so just focused on being the best teammate I can be to those guys in the locker room.” Read more at: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34431848/chicago-bears-lb-roquan-smith-ends-hold-play-final-year-rookie-deal (Courtney Cronin/ESPN)
