_(cropped).jpg) Smith in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 0 – Baltimore Ravens | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active Roster | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1997-04-08)April 8, 1997 (age 28) Marshallville, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | Macon County(Montezuma, Georgia) | ||||||||||||||||
| College | Georgia (2015–2017) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2018: 1st round, 8th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
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Roquan Daevon Smith (born April 8, 1997) is an American professionalfootballlinebacker for theBaltimore Ravens of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theGeorgia Bulldogs. Smith became the first Georgia Bulldog to win theButkus Award.[1]
Smith was introduced to organized football at the age of six. In the years to follow his youth football coaches had to keep a copy of his birth certificate on file to dispute claims that he was too old to play.[2] He attendedMacon County High School inMontezuma, Georgia, where he playedfootball for the Bulldogs.[3] He originally committed to theUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to playcollege football but changed his commitment to theUniversity of Georgia.[4][5]
While at the University of Georgia, Smith played college football under head coachesMark Richt andKirby Smart.[6] As a true freshman at Georgia in 2015, Smith played in 12 games and recorded 20 tackles.[7] As a sophomore in 2016, he started 10 of 13 games, recording 95 tackles.[8][9]
In 2017, Smith was named MVP of theSEC Championship Game, as well as SEC Defensive Player of the Year by theAssociated Press.[10] He became the first Georgia Bulldog to win theButkus Award.[11] Smith decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and entered the2018 NFL draft.[1]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Georgia Bulldogs | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |||||
| 2015 | 10 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | 13 | 95 | 52 | 43 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 15 | 137 | 85 | 53 | 14.0 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career | 38 | 252 | 146 | 102 | 20.5 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+7⁄8 in (1.85 m) | 236 lb (107 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 4.51 s | 1.51 s | 2.63 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | |||
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Smith was selected by theChicago Bears with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the2018 NFL draft.[14]
His contract signing was significantly delayed due to contract disputes between the Bears and Smith's agency CAA Football over language in his rookie contract stating whether his guaranteed money would be reclaimed by the team if he was suspended due to the NFL's new rule outlawing contact leading with the helmet. CAA argued for wording that would protect Smith's guaranteed earnings, while the Bears preferred for decisions to be determined by the league, a situation that was exacerbated by skepticism surrounding the rule and the frequency of tackling in Smith's role.[15] On August 14, the Bears signed Smith to a fully guaranteed four-year, $18.47 million contract that included asigning bonus of $11.51 million.[16] He was the last first-round pick in his draft class to sign with his team.[17][18]
In his NFL debut in Week 1 against theGreen Bay Packers, Smith recorded a sack on the Packers' quarterbackDeShone Kizer on his first career snap.[19] In Week 6 against theMiami Dolphins, Smith made 13 tackles.[20] In Week 9 against theBuffalo Bills, Smith made 13 tackles as the Bears won the game 41–9.[21][22] In Week 10 against theDetroit Lions, he made 10 tackles and sacked quarterbackMatthew Stafford, while the Bears won 34–22,[23] while also leading the team in tackles in both of these weeks.[24] In Week 12 against the Lions, he made 11 tackles and sacked quarterback Stafford in a 23–16 win.[25][26]In Week 14 against theLos Angeles Rams, Smith made six tackles and recorded his first career interception offJared Goff and returned the ball 22 yards to the four-yard line as the Bears won 15–6.[27][28][29] In Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers, Smith made 10 tackles in a 24–17 win.[30] In Week 16 against theSan Francisco 49ers, Smith made nine tackles and sackedNick Mullens in a 14–9 win.[31] On December 30, during a Week 17 game against theMinnesota Vikings, Smith had six tackles as the Bears defeated the Vikings 24–10.[32]
On January 6, 2019, in the Bears' 15–16 loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles in a Wild Card playoff game, Smith led the team with seven tackles and made an interception offNick Foles.[33]
Smith finished the season with 121 tackles, five sacks, five passes defended, and one interception. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[34] He was selected asPro Bowl alternate.[35]
In Week 2 against theDenver Broncos, Smith recorded a team high 13 tackles as the Bears won 16–14.[36] In Week 11 against the Rams, Smith recorded a team high 11 tackles and intercepted a pass thrown byJared Goff in the 7–17 loss.[37] In Week 13 against the Lions onThanksgiving Day, Smith recorded a team high 15 tackles and sacked rookie quarterbackDavid Blough twice in the 24–20 win.[38] On December 9, 2019, Smith was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn pectoral in Week 14.[39]
In Week 9 against theTennessee Titans, Smith recorded a team-high 11 tackles and sackedRyan Tannehill once during the 24–17 loss.[40] In Week 10 against the Vikings, Smith recorded a team-high 14 tackles and sackedKirk Cousins once during the 13–19 loss.[41] In Week 14 against theHouston Texans, Smith led the team with 12 tackles and two sacks during the 36–7 win.[42]
During the Bears' 41–17 win over theJacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, Smith interceptedMike Glennon twice to become the first Bears player with multiple interceptions in a game sinceHa Ha Clinton-Dix in 2019. Smith was also the team's first linebacker to achieve the feat sinceLance Briggs in 2008.[43][44] The Bears made it back to the playoffs, for the second time in Smith's career. However, he was inactive in their appearance, a 21–9 loss against theNew Orleans Saints, after suffering an elbow injury in the final game of the season.[45][46]
After the season he was elected for the first time to theSporting News first-teamAll-Pro team that was voted on by NFL players and executives,[47] and toAssociated Press's second-teamAll-Pro.[48]
On April 27, 2021, the Bears exercised the fifth-year option on Smith's contract,[49] which guarantees a salary of $9.7 million for the 2022 season.[50] On September 19, Smith intercepted a pass byJoe Burrow and returned it 53 yards for his first defensive touchdown in a 20–17 win against theCincinnati Bengals.[51] On November 8, Smith recorded a sack alongside 12 total tackles in a 27–29 loss which saw the Bears fall to a 3–6 record on the season.[52] On November 21, Smith recorded a career-high total of 17 tackles, two of which were tackles for losses, in a 16–14 loss to theBaltimore Ravens.[53] It was the most tackles by a Bears player in a single game sinceBrian Urlacher had 19 in 2006.[54] Smith finished the season with one interception and 163 total tackles, the fifth-most in the NFL.[55][56] He was named toNFL.com's All-Pro team and theAssociated Press' second team All-Pro.[56][57] He was ranked 84th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[58]
In early August 2022, Smith announced that while he tried to negotiate a contract extension during the offseason, he had requested the Bears trade him, stating the reason was that the "new front office regime doesn't value me here."[59] Smith did report to Bears' training camp, but refused to practice. On August 20, Smith ended his holdout from practices and stated he would no longer continue negotiating with the Bears' front office for the remainder of the 2022 season.[60] On September 25, Smith recorded 16 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception, during a 23–20 win over the Texans.[61]
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On October 31, 2022, Smith was traded to the Ravens forA. J. Klein, a2023 second round pick, and a 2023 fifth round pick.[62] He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for December.[63] He was named to the Pro Bowl and earned first team All-Pro honors.[64][65] He finished the 2022 season with 169 total tackles (103 solo), 4.5 sacks, three interceptions, and six passes defended.[66]
On January 10, 2023, Smith signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Ravens, including $45 million fully guaranteed with $60 million in total guarantees, making him the highest-paid linebacker in the league. The deal was also notable because Smith does not have an agent and negotiated it himself.[67] He was ranked 24th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[68]
In May 2023, Smith changed his number to '0', becoming the first Raven ever to wear that number.[69] On November 12, 2023, Smith was credited with a career-high 21 tackles (14 solo) in a loss to theCleveland Browns.[70] He andRay Lewis are the only Ravens in franchise history to record at least 20 tackles in a single game. Smith also became the first NFL defensive player in 2023 to record 20+ tackles in a single game.[2] Smith was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl towards the end of the season.[71]
Smith was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl on January 2, 2025.[72]
In Week 2, Smith recorded 15 tackles, three tackles for a loss, and recovered a fumble and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown in a 41-17 win over theCleveland Browns, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[73]
Smith was selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl in December 2025.[74]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | Fum | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2018 | CHI | 16 | 14 | 121 | 89 | 32 | 5.0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | CHI | 12 | 12 | 101 | 66 | 35 | 2.0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | CHI | 16 | 16 | 139 | 98 | 41 | 4.0 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | CHI | 17 | 17 | 163 | 95 | 68 | 3.0 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 53 | 53.0 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | CHI | 8 | 8 | 83 | 52 | 31 | 2.5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BAL | 9 | 9 | 86 | 51 | 35 | 2.0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | BAL | 16 | 16 | 158 | 84 | 74 | 1.5 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | BAL | 16 | 16 | 154 | 81 | 73 | 1.5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | BAL | 15 | 15 | 130 | 76 | 54 | 0.0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 63 | 1 |
| Career | 125 | 123 | 1135 | 692 | 443 | 21.5 | 68 | 0 | 38 | 10 | 162 | 16.2 | 53 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 63 | 1 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | Fum | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2018 | CHI | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | CHI | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | BAL | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | BAL | 2 | 2 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | BAL | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 6 | 6 | 51 | 25 | 26 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
On May 8, 2018, nearly two weeks after being drafted, it was reported that Smith's car was burgled inAthens, Georgia, where a team-issuediPad along with some of Smith's personal belongings, including his college jerseys, helmet, and awards, were stolen from his car. However, the next day, the stolen items were recovered.[75][76]
Roquan Smith racked up 13 tackles...
And linebacker Roquan Smith led the Bears in tackles for the second game in a row with 10, which included a sack on a blitz.
Smith was everywhere again. He led the Bears with nine total tackles. His sack of Mullens in the third quarter on second-and-eight also deterred a 49ers drive.
Smith had 12 tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hits.
