Roquan Smith ends contract standoff with Bears

Georgia's Roquan Smith was selected 8th in the NFL Draft's first round. Smith will wear a Chicago Bears uniform next. Smith tackles the No. 1 pick, Baker Mayfield, in the Rose Bowl. Smith stands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Smith's hard-hitting play should be a good fit with the Bears. Smith has been called a "menacing sideline-to-sideline tackler." Smith, a linebacker, is from Montezuma, Ga. Smith led Georgia to the SEC Championship. Smith originally committed to UCLA in high school.

Rookie linebacker Roquan Smith finally ended his contract holdout Monday.

The former Georgia pass rusher and Chicago Bears finally agreed on a four-year, $18 million deal, all of which is fully guaranteed, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The deal also will include around $11 million in bonuses, Schefter reported.

The Bears announced Tuesday morning Smith has signed his new deal and shared a photo of the linebacker on Twitter.

Smith, the League’s last unsigned rookie, chose to hold off from signing his rookie contract with the Bears because he and the team could not agree on the financial protections Smith should receive from the team if he’s found to violate the NFL’s new use-of-helmet rule.

Schefter reported Smith is expected to report to the Bears training facility as early as Monday night and has a chance to play in the team's next exhibition game against the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Smith was drafted with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after three seasons at Georgia.