Another defensive star gets paid before Roquan Smith, putting pressure on the Chicago Bears

As the Chicago Bears prepare for their second preseason game on Thursday night, against the Seattle Seahawks, one significant situation still remains without answers.

All Pro linebacker Roquan Smith has yet to get an offer he would consider accepting, and the Bears are still without their defensive leader on the field. Smith desires a fair contract extension, and since the original offer blew up in the Bears’ face resulting in a trade demand, we haven’t heard much about either side getting close.

Another defensive star who has done more of a “hold-in” than a typical holdout is Los Angeles Chargers stud safety Derwin James.

Wednesday, the Chargers and James agreed to an extension, making him the highest-paid safety in the league.

Derwin James’ extension should put added pressure on Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles to get a deal done with Roquan Smith.

What makes this extension even more intriguing is the fact that James has not always been healthy since entering the league. When he’s on the field, he’s a difference maker. But, he missed 11 games in 2019 and then the entirety of the 2020 season.

Smith, meanwhile, has bee pretty dependable when it comes to his health and avoiding major injury. Yet, James is the one sitting pretty with a hefty new contract.

Another aspect of this, just to rub it in the faces of Bears fans, is the fact that the Chargers were the team to take Khalil Mack off Chicago’s hands. Now, they have their newly-extended star safety locked up for the foreseeable future, alongside Mack.

With the regular season coming up in less than a month, now, Poles has to get a deal done. Most believe Smith will not be traded at this point, and that the formal, public request was more of a negotiating tactic on the player’s side.

If this deal gets wrapped up soon, then all is forgiven and forgotten. But, the longer this thing plays out, the worse things look for both sides of this situation.