CHICAGO _ Bears rookie linebacker Roquan Smith probably will sit out Thursday's preseason finale against the Bills, coach Matt Nagy said Tuesday.
The unsurprising decision confirms that if Smith plays the season opener against the Packers on Sept. 9, he would do so without the benefit of playing a preseason game.
Smith held out for 29 days and missed 16 practices before joining the team Aug. 14. He suffered a left hamstring strain Aug. 21 and has been unable to fully participate in practice since.
Nagy, however, is pleased by Smith's progress.
"Roquan had a better day today, so that's two good days in a row as far as his health is concerned," he said. "It's looking like for him this week against Buffalo, we're probably going to end up keeping him out and not playing him, so you guys hear that and have that. But that's not a negative that we're keeping him out of the game. He's in a good place right now."
