Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith had to exit a press conference early after he learned one of his close friends on the team was being traded.
Smith, 25, was speaking to reporters on Wednesday when the news broke that Chicago had traded Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bears beat reporter Sean Hammond shared the emotional moment on Twitter. “We were speaking with Roquan Smith when the Robert Quinn trade broke,” Hammond wrote. “He was having a tough time and had to cut it short.”
The athlete put his hands over his face and had to take a moment before he addressed the media.
“I have a great deal of respect for that guy,” Smith said after a moment. “Damn, crazy.”
Quinn, a three-time Pro-Bowler, had played with Smith for the Chicago football team since 2020.
Chicago received a fourth-round pick in the trade that sent Quinn, 32, to the Philadelphia Eagles, according to NFL.com.
Additional trades are being made around the NFL, as the league’s deadline for trading players this season is November 1.
The Philadelphia Eagles have enjoyed a stellar start to the 2022-23 NFL season. The team is undefeated through the first six weeks and are ranking fourth in defense in the league.
The Bears have won three of their seven games so far and are looking to push their momentum forward after their victory over the New England Patriots on Monday night.
