Roquan Smith practiced in a Bears uniform Tuesday at Halas Hall, marking the official end to the first-round pick's 29-day contract holdout.
Smith signed his contract and then ran through group inside linebacker and team drills during a light practice before the Bears head to Denver for joint practices with the Broncos.
In a five-minute session with the media afterward, Smith shed little light on his reasoning for his contract impasse, at one point answering four straight questions by saying he left the contract issue "to my agent and Mr. Pace," referring to general manager Ryan Pace.
However, he said he didn't regret the holdout that wiped out his rookie-year training camp.
"No, that's just the business side of things," Smith said. "It is what it is. And I'm just happy to be here now."
The Bears and Smith's agents at CAA Football reached a compromise regarding contract language that would allow the Bears to void guarantees should Smith be suspended by the NFL.
Pro Football Talk reported that if Smith is suspended three or more games for a football play, his guarantees can be voided. They can also be voided if he is suspended two games for actions on the field outside of a football play or one game if he is deemed the aggressor of actions outside of a football play.
Smith said he didn't worry about not getting enough practice time in to be ready for the season opener.
"I just kept my faith in my agent and Mr. Pace that they would get everything situated," he said.
The Bears did not make Pace available for comment, but they released a statement from him.
"We're looking forward to Roquan joining our team and getting him prepared for the 2018 season," he said in the statement.
Smith trained in Athens, Ga., during his time away from the team and said he "would like to think" he's in good football shape.
"I have confidence in the coaches and the athletic training staff and myself, we'll take the proper steps for me to come back," he said.
Bears coach Matt Nagy said it was too soon to tell the type of shape Smith is in after a 1 { hour practice. Smith will practice with the team in Denver, but Nagy said he wasn't yet sure if he would play in Saturday's exhibition game against the Broncos.
Nagy said the Bears will be mindful of making sure Smith doesn't overdo it physically in an effort to catch up.
"From the time that we got to know Roquan in OTAs, we understand that he's a very driven individual, both on and off the field, and I know he's going to do everything he possibly can to catch up," Nagy said. "Now he's got to do it, so to be able to get out here in Denver and have some good practices, it's a great time for him. It's good for him to get back in shape and take some hits, go ahead and see where he's at physically with his body and we'll just kind of gauge it as we go."
Smith said he was able to study his playbook while away, and Nagy said the Bears will not hold back on the information they give Smith as he catches up.
"We'll still ask him to do all that because you've got to test the waters a little bit and see what he can and can't do," Nagy said. "If you take too many baby steps and you don't test him enough then you don't know what his limit is. So I think you go ahead and you throw stuff at him. I think right now we have to make sure physically you don't overdo it. Mentally he's fine."
