When playing their former squad, the Carolina Panthers take the high road.
Bears Pair Anticipates Reunification
Bears of Chicago
This week, the Bears learned a valuable lesson on how to act inappropriately following a trade or team switch.
At least they won’t have to worry about two of their own players coming to them from the Carolina Panthers, their opponent on Thursday, gloating or crowing.
But this week, former Bears linebacker Roquan Smith made disparaging remarks about his previous team and indirectly targeted Ryan Poles for the umpteenth time since he was moved to the Baltimore Ravens.
He spoke to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated:
“Knowing Chicago was bittersweet for me, and deservedly so, but to be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to challenge for a title very soon if I had stayed there.
“Wow, it brings me such joy to know that my career is still going strong, although I play in a place where I’m not really vying for a championship. It took me a few weeks after I arrived here to properly see how well-balanced this club was, how many excellent players they have, and how they consistently bring in extremely outstanding players.”
With the shot, he sliced a large swath that included his former teammates. After the trade the previous year, he made some more spiteful remarks and made some further comments throughout the offseason.
By now, everyone has gotten the hang of it and knows what he meant the first time.
Smith is pleased to be out of Chicago once more, but he enjoys saying this so much that you almost wonder whether he really means it. And why doesn’t he just say “thank you” to Poles for sending him to a winning team and call it a day if he’s truly happy? Poles could have made a valiant effort to trade him to a weaker team, after all.
Without a feeling of competing for a title—something Baltimore is frequently accused of doing but seldom actually does—his career would then collapse.
In the meantime, two really classy Bears aren’t even hinting about playing their former team, the Carolina Panthers.
And there’s reason for one of them to be really enraged.
Although he occasionally doesn’t seem to get targeted as much as he should, DJ Moore has been a tremendous asset for the Bears since joining them from the Panthers in the major trade down from first selection in the draught.
The elegant, laid-back Moore is the player you’d least expect to pop off about anything. He also didn’t.
Despite playing for a squad with a 2–7 record, he had no issues. On the other hand, he would have been on a 1–7 squad otherwise.
Moore remarked, “It’s played out well.” “I have no negative emotions about being here. I’m in my element here.
“We’re going to get this thing turned around and that’s going to be the best of it.”
Nothing there directed towards the Panthers. Don’t tell Smith about the last bit about turning things around, though.
Moore is 17 catches away from surpassing his catch total from the previous year with 47 catches. With 735 yards, he is on pace to set a career high for yards. Almost no word from him, though.
Although he has the right to unleash his fury on the Panthers, Bears running back D’onta Foreman will typically choose to let his pads do the talking.
He was granted free agency by the Panthers and signed for a meagre $2 million to join in Chicago. In the meantime, Miles Sanders was joining the Panthers to play alongside Chuba Hubbard.
Sanders has 57 less yards than Foreman despite the fact that Foreman missed three games due to game day inactivity. Foreman has amassed 65 runs at an average of 4.4 yards for 287 yards. In a 30-12 victory over the Raiders, he recorded two running touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.
Although Foreman hasn’t marked this particular date on his calendar, it’s clear he remembers being treated disrespectfully without truly doing anything disrespectful to anyone.
Regarding Thursday night, “it means a lot, definitely,” Foreman remarked. “Like I mentioned, I admire those people a lot since I fought with many of them. However, you want to go show them why they made the incorrect choice if you feel that a team chose another guy over you.”
Very brief and devoid of boasting. Given that Carolina ranks 28th against the run, he might even get his wish.
“I mean, I’d be lying if I said I never thought about it, but at the end of the day, I mean, I just kind of come in here and go to work every day and try to stay the course,” said Foreman.
Foreman doesn’t appear resentful or angry about anything, even if Khalil Herbert’s potential return this week or next means less carries for him.
“All the guys in our room are great guys, motivators, and they push me,” he stated. “Every day I feel like I do the same for those guys.”
All of this hardly seems to be the character or mindset of a team of lifelong losers, as their former linebacker in the penthouse in Baltimore implies.
