NFL NEWS

Bears’ Nagy still mum on LB Smith’s absence

Field Level Media

October 01, 2019 at 12:38 am.

Shortly before their home against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Chicago Bears listed linebacker Roquan Smith as inactive.

On Monday, Bears coach Matt Nagy wouldn’t elaborate much, saying only that Smith’s absence was because of a “personal issue.”

Nagy told reporters at his news conference, “It’s for us something that we’re going to leave at that right now. I’m just going to say it was a personal issue. I’m not getting into anything else until … I’m just going to completely keep it at that.”

It is unknown whether Smith, who was on the sideline for the Bears’ 16-6 home win over the Vikings, will be available for Chicago’s game this Sunday against the Oakland Raiders in London.

Fourth-year linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski filled in for Smith and made nine tackles, two for loss, including a sack.

“It was just something that yesterday, it was a decision that we ended up making,” Nagy said of Smith being inactive. “We thought that was what we wanted to do at the time. Our guys handled it well. They handled it great. I thought (Kwiatkoski) did a great job at responding to it. He stepped up and had a helluva game.”

The eighth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia, Smith played in all 19 games since he was drafted prior to Sunday, making 17 starts. He had 121 tackles, five sacks and an interception as a rookie. He has 24 tackles through three games this season.

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