Interested NFL teams must make sure they are going through the proper channels when talking shop with Roquan Smith.
Smith last week released a statement in which he revealed he requested a trade from the Chicago Bears. At this point, the Bears would need to be the ones conducting any trade negotiations, as the linebacker is under contract for the 2022 season and also does not have a formal agent.
These guidelines apparently haven’t stopped someone from talking to teams on Smith’s behalf, which reportedly prompted the NFL to send out a warning to all 32 teams across the league.
“The NFL Management Council sent a memo to clubs, warning them that a person contacting clubs about trading for #Bears LB Roquan Smith isn’t a certified agent and that any contact with a player under contract or his agent without direct written permission is tampering, per source,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted Monday.
Even if Smith had representation, the 25-year-old reportedly would not be able to take the trade request into his own hands. According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the Bears have not given Smith permission to seek a trade.
Smith has virtually no leverage in this situation, so his best course of action probably is trying to put together the best season possible and set himself up to cash in next March.
