Bears GM Poles not ruling out long-term contract with Smith

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles remains optimistic the team can agree to a long-term contract with Roquan Smith and repair their relationship after the star linebacker requested a trade. Poles says he has “faith” Smith will “have a good year and we’ll work on our relationship.” Smith was hoping to strike a new deal with the contract he signed after the Bears drafted him with the No. 8 overall pick in 2018 set to expire following this season. He participated in voluntary and mandatory offseason workouts. But with negotiations at a standstill, things took a heated turn once training camp started. He opted to “hold in” and then went public with a trade request while accusing Poles of negotiating in bad faith.