Roquan Smith hesitated to admit it, but he came clean after some prodding: Yes, he was exhausted near the end of all 81 snaps at linebacker in the Bears’ win at Denver on Sunday.
He was off for at least the next 24 hours before settling back to normal in time for the start of the practice week Wednesday.
“It didn’t take too long,” Smith said. “I think it was just a good night’s rest... coming back and getting a couple hours sleeping in my bed.”
He makes it sound so easy. He’s been making everything look easy this season.
Smith played 145 snaps, including special teams, over the first two games and ran all over the field. Fellow linebacker Danny Trevathan is the only one to log more playing time at 146. Those two combined for 25 of the Bears’ 69 tackles in Denver.
Smith leads the Bears with 18 tackles and looks like he could make a serious push to fulfill Khalil Mack’s training camp declaration that he has all-pro potential.
“He played a little faster in Week 1 than he did last week, but that’s the ebbs and flows of being a second-year player and learning a new defense,” coach Matt Nagy said. “So there’s gonna be some of that, but I love where he’s at. I’m excited that we got him. He’s gonna be a really good one for us.”
If he’s going to keep playing like this — or better — the Bears will have the best linebacker corps in the NFL. Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said last week Smith “might be as good as any inside linebacker in this league.”
The game at Washington on Monday shouldn’t be too much of a test for Smith and the Bears’ other run stoppers. The Redskins are averaging 37.5 yards rushing per game and 2.5 per carry, ranking 30th in the NFL in each. They have four first downs by rushing.
Adrian Peterson is their top running back with 25 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts.
Smith, the No. 8 overall pick last year, looked good as a rookie despite missing training camp and reporting in mid-August. He led the Bears with 122 tackles, including eight for loss, to go with five sacks, five pass breakups and an interception.
He did that while still swimming through the usual rookie struggles. He’s only 22, but seems to be thinking and moving faster in his second season.
“I think it just goes back to being more comfortable,” Smith said. “The more comfortable you are, the better you feel. That’s definitely something that’s been going in the right direction.
“It helps when you know what to expect. So going into the year knowing what to expect, that means a lot to me and [I’m] ready for it all.”
Growing up playing in the swampy conditions of the south is part of what makes Smith so indefatigable. While the altitude in Denver is unique, no heat or humidity Smith encounters in the NFL compares to the training he did as a kid in Marshallville, Ga., or while playing at the University of Georgia.
Training camp in Bourbonnais with its breezy 80-something-degree days, for example, was nothing to him. There’s a forecasted high of 92 for Washington on Monday, though it should be cooler at kickoff.
“When you [train in heat] your entire life, that’s all you know,” Smith said. “I definitely feel like it’s a process over time. You become accustomed to it.”
Now he’s fully accustomed to being a pro, and that maturity shows on the field. He’s calm, quick and reliable, and he is living up to everything the Bears expected when they drafted him.
