Roquan Smith’s 2019 season seemed to be just getting started when it abruptly ended in Week 14 last year.
After a mysterious last-minute absence in Week 4 against the Vikings for an undisclosed personal reason — and three sluggish games upon his return — Smith found his groove near midseason. He had double-digit tackles against the Eagles, Lions and Rams and finally looked like the star-in-the-making the Bears expect him to be.
Against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field, he was never better. He had 16 tackles and two sacks, including a sack for a 13-yard loss with the game on the line — a third-and-nine at the Bears 26-yard line with 41 seconds to play.