It’s been reported that the ongoing contract dispute between first-round pick Roquan Smith and the Chicago Bears hinges on language regarding the new helmet-leading rule and would allow the team to recoup guaranteed money should he be suspended under it.
However, a new report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano says that it isn’t simply related to the new rule but related to language that the Bears have included in multiple first-round picks’ contracts in recent years:
Please understand this: Even if you take Nagy at his word that the new helmet rule is “part of the issue,” the problem isn’t that the Bears are worried about Smith getting ejected or suspended for newly illegal hits.