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The Chicago Bears will be without one of their top defensive players for the remainder of the 2019 season. According to the Bears' Twitter account, linebacker Roquan Smith suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the first quarter of the team's Thursday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia, Smith has been a force in the middle of the defense for Chicago in his first two years in the league.
Smith ended his 2019 season with 100 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception. Smith's 100 combined tackles was 30 more than fellow linebacker Danny Trevathan's 70 which ranked second on the team.
As a unit, the Bears defense has taken a slight step back from last season's dominant group. After leading the NFL in points allowed per game in 2018, Chicago ranks fourth in points allowed and 10th in yards allowed per game.
Behind Smith on the depth chart is 6-foot-1, 226-pound linebacker Joel Iyiebuniwe. In his second year out of Western Kentucky, the backup linebacker has recorded just three total tackles this season and 13 for his career.
Regardless, Iyiebuniwe should see a big increase in snaps played with Smith now on Injured Reserve as the Bears, now at 7-6 on the season, cling to a chance at a second-consecutive playoff birth.
After losing four straight games in the middle of the season, the Bears have won four of their five last games with all four wins being decided by a touchdown or less.
Next up, the Bears will travel to Green Bay to face off against the Green Bay Packers and try to close the gap in the NFC North.
