Roquan Smith out for season with torn pectoral
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy announced Monday that linebacker Roquan Smith was diagnosed with a torn pectoral muscle and will be moved to injured reserve, ending his season.
Smith will undergo surgery, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The 22-year-old suffered the injury during Thursday's win over the Dallas Cowboys. Nagy feared a season-ending diagnosis for the second-year defender and a recent MRI confirmed it.
The Bears selected Smith No. 8 overall in the 2018 draft to be the centerpiece of a strong defensive unit. The linebacker leads Chicago with 100 tackles this season.
Smith's injury is yet another hit to Chuck Pagano's linebacking corps. Veteran Danny Trevathan missed the last four games with an elbow injury.
Nick Kwiatkoski and Kevin Pierre-Louis will help fill the void in the middle of Chicago's stop unit.