Baltimore Ravens' Roquan Smith says his 'career is not going down the drain' after trade

Veteran linebacker Roquan Smith is reflecting on the one-year anniversary of his trade from the lowly Chicago Bears (2-7) to the championship contender Baltimore Ravens (7-2), who are tied for the second-best record in the league.

"Man, it makes me so happy, just knowing my career is not going down the drain, in the sense of playing somewhere where I’m not truly competing for a title," Smith told Sports Illustrated.

Smith was selected out of the University of Georgia by the Bears with the eighth pick of the 2018 NFL draft. Through five seasons in Chicago, Smith recorded 524 total tackles, seven interceptions, 20 passes defended and 16.5 sacks in 69 games (67 starts), earning second-team All-Pro (2020, 2021) honors. In August 2022, Smith requested a trade, saying "the new front office regime doesn't value me here." He was shipped to the Ravens in October 2022.

The Ravens have a 12-6 record since Smith's trade, while the Bears have gone 2-16 during that stretch.

“It’s pretty crazy thinking back to when I was initially traded,” Smith told the outlet. “It was bittersweet for me, just knowing Chicago and rightfully so. But if I would’ve stayed there, honestly, (I) wouldn’t have been able to compete for a title anytime soon."

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Smith got what he wanted in Baltimore. He signed a five-year, $100 million extension ($60 million guaranteed) with the Ravens in January to become the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL after earning his first team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2022. And Smith, voted as the 24th best player in the league by his peers in the NFL's annual Top 100 Players list, has been able to compete and help the Ravens' defense thrive.

"When I came over here, it took me a while, like a couple of weeks, to really realize how stacked this team was, as well as how many good people there are on this team, and how they just bring in truly good people," Smith said.

The Ravens (7-2) defense is ranked first in the league in opponent points per game (13.8) and second-best in yards allowed per game (262.6). Smith cites Baltimore's Pro Football Hall of Famers Ed Reed and Ray Lewis as his motivation.

“When I just think about it from that perspective, man, it makes me proud just knowing that I’m playing behind such a historic tradition. And guys that was well before (me). How they set the standard for being a Raven," Smith said. "I believe it’s playing lights out on the defensive side of the ball… not giving the offense time to breathe. Smothering them. And when they come up for a breath, you take them right back down. I feel like that’s what being a Raven is all about.”

The Ravens moved to 7-2 on the season following an impressive 37-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks (5-3) on Sunday. They face the (5-3) Cleveland Browns, another of the league's premier defenses. So far this season, Smith has recorded 87 total tackles, the fourth-most in the league, five passes defended and 1.5 sacks through nine games (all starts).

“It means the world to me, being a Raven,” Smith said. “And how they came and got me when I was in Chicago."