Bears place Roquan Smith on IR with torn pec

Chicago linebacker Roquan Smith will miss the rest of the 2019 season with a torn pectoral muscle injury. The Chicago Bears defeated the Dallas Cowboys 31-24 earlier this week, but they lost one of their best players in the process. The second year linebacker out of Georgia is a key cog in Chicago’s dominant defense.

Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy confirmed Smith is now being placed on IR:

Coach Nagy confirms that Roquan Smith has a torn pec, and will be moved to IR.

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 9, 2019

It’s a big loss for the 7-6 Bears who are fighting to stay in the NFC playoff race. Chicago will miss Roquan especially after his historic Thanksgiving performance:

Yesterday #Bears LB Roquan Smith became the third player in NFL history to record at least 15 tackles and two sacks in a game, joining the Bengals' Vincent Rey and the 49ers' Patrick Willis.

— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) November 29, 2019

Smith will look to prepare for next season. Smith had 101 tackles on the season, two sacks and an interception. It’s a tough injury for Smith to recover from, but he has the talent and work ethic to return to the field for next season’s training camp.