According to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN, the board was informed by the NFL Players Association “that an individual named Saint Omni, who is not an NFLPA certified agent, is contacting clubs claiming to represent Roquan Smith, who he has a contract with the Chicago Bears.” The memo states that “Mr. Omni is prohibited from negotiating player contracts or discussing potential trades on behalf of any NFL player or player prospect or from assisting or advising in connection with such negotiations.” 2 Related On Tuesday, Smith released a statement via NFL Media saying he had requested a trade after failing to work out a contract extension with the Bears. The linebacker said the offer extended by Chicago “is an offer that would be bad for myself and the entire LB market if I signed it.” That same day, Bears general manager Ryan Poles reiterated his desire to make a deal with Smith and said the front office had offered an offer with “record-setting pieces.” Smith is not registered as a client of any NFLPA certified agent. The linebacker was not seen at Monday’s practice. After reporting early to training camp, Smith was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for the first 12 practices. He passed a physical and was activated from the PUP list on Wednesday, but did not participate in practice the next day or in the Bears’ preseason win over Kansas City, despite being present for both. The board’s memo referred to Article 48 of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which states that player contracts must be negotiated only with the player, if acting on his own behalf, or his NFLPA-certified agent. The memo ended with a reminder of the league’s anti-violation policy, which states that “no club may negotiate with a player under contract to another club or his authorized representative or discuss a potential transaction without express written permission of the player’s employer’.
