The Chicago Bears may finally feature rookie linebacker Roquan Smith in a live NFL game for the first time when they face the Kansas City Chiefs at home this coming Saturday.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy bared that possibility, via the team’s official Twitter account.

Coach Nagy on potential of Roquan Smith making preseason debut on Saturday: “We're hoping that this is a great opportunity for him to get in there and move around.”

The Bears spend a No. 8 pick in the first round of this year’s draft on Smith, whom they expect will further fortify their stop unit that ranked eighth in scoring defense last year, seventh against the pass and 10th against the run.

Roquan Smith missed a big portion of the Bears’ training camp this offseason, as he had a holdout that lasted a month before deciding to put ink on his rookie contract with Chicago last week. Since the completion of the deal, Smith has been able to have three practices with the team, though, the Bears decided to sit him out during last Saturday’s 24-23 road win over the Denver Broncos.

Regardless of how much action he sees on the field in the remaining two preseason games on the Bears’ schedule, Smith is expected to fill in a significant role on Chicago’s defense.

A former wide receiver in high school, Smith is an athletic and speedy linebacker who had a productive three-year stint with the Georgia Bulldogs in college. In his last season in Athens, he recorded 137 total tackles – the most in the SEC – to go with 6.5 sacks.