At this point, former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith is only one of two first-round picks from the 2018 NFL Draft who has not signed. On Saturday, it was revealed why exactly the eighth overall pick is holding out.
The Chicago Tribune’s Rich Campbell reported Smith’s holdout concerns a new NFL rule. Under the NFL’s new guidelines, a player cannot initiate contact with his helmet, which could potentially be an issue for a defender such as Smith.
Per Campbell, Smith is holding out over language in his contract “whether Smith’s guaranteed money could be reclaimed by the team if he were to be suspended under the new NFL rule.