Regardless of the missteps that led to the Bears being at odds with their best player, there are still two viable paths forward.
General manager Ryan Poles can give Smith exactly what he has asked for and trade him for draft picks. The market would likely dictate a best-case offer of a 2023 first- and third-round pick, one source predicted.
Or, Poles can pony up the cash to secure Smith’s place as a pillar of the franchise.
But either way, he needs to get moving. The current awkwardness is untenable.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’ve still got to prepare ourselves to play football for the season,” veteran defensive end Robert Quinn said.