3 Underrated Bears Who Have Earned Contract Extensions

3. Terell Smith, Cornerback

Is it too early to talk extensions for someone who just finished their rookie season? Not in this case.

Terell Smith is another fifth-round pick currently on an incredibly team-friendly deal. He suited up for 12 games (making 4 starts) as a rookie, and quickly established himself as a favorite to crack the starting lineup in 2024.

Smith was incredibly solid when he stepped up in run defense from the secondary (49 tackles and a wildly impressive 83.2 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus), and he didn't lack in coverage either. He wasn't a shutdown corner by any means, but PFF gave him a 65.4 coverage grade.

That ranked 88th out of 225 graded cornerbacks. That doesn't just mean he's in the top 40% of cornerbacks either, because the list of 225 excludes those who weren't good enough to play enough snaps to qualify for the rankings.

The rookie's only going to get better from here, so let's show him how important he is to the team's future and get him extended with a generous offer now.

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