With Bears LB Roquan Smith on IR, Kevin Pierre-Louis gets shot at redemption

When linebacker Roquan Smith went down with a torn pectoral muscle against the Cowboys and Kevin Pierre-Louis replaced him, the name probably rang a bell with Bears fans in the worst way.

For most people, it was the first time they had noticed Pierre-Louis since he had a running-into-the-punter penalty in the fourth quarter against the Raiders. It was a brutal mistake that kept the Raiders’ drive alive and ultimately led to the game-winning touchdown.

But don’t worry about bringing it up to Pierre-Louis two months later. He can handle it.

“Reality is reality,” he said Monday. “I’m not gonna lie. In the right way, I think about it every day. I use that as motivation. The blessing about this league is short memories.

“It bothered me. This is our job. This is how we provide for our family. And the reality is, sometimes you lose your job over things like that. It was tough to digest. But it’s just knowing who I am and going from there, and the coaches trusting me.”

They’re trusting him now to take over for Smith, who is out for the season and will go on injured reserve. That’s a tough blow for the Bears after losing their other starting inside linebacker, Danny Trevathan, to a dislocated elbow last month.

They’re likely to start Pierre-Louis and Nick Kwiatkoski on Sunday at Green Bay in a game that’s virtually a must-win for their playoff chances. It would be Pierre-Louis’ second start in six NFL seasons and first since 2015.

Losing Smith, an All-Pro-caliber talent and the team leader with 100 tackles, will certainly hurt. That said, the Bears got what they needed from Pierre-Louis in 46 defensive snaps (he also played 23 on special teams) against the Cowboys. He had five tackles, two pass break-ups and a quarterback hurry while being used as a blitzer, much like Smith.

“The depth that [general manager Ryan Pace] and his guys have created on this roster allows someone like KPL to step up and make plays,” coach Matt Nagy said. “You feel bad for Roquan, but we know that we have guys that can fill in.”

Having a game like that felt redemptive for Pierre-Louis. He helped cost the Bears a game, but he also helped win one.

He has had a choppy career since the Seahawks drafted him in the fourth round out of Boston College in 2014.

Pierre-Louis never broke into the first string, and three years later, the Seahawks traded him to the Chiefs. That’s where he first crossed paths with Nagy, who was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator. He played just 35 defensive snaps in nine games for the Jets last season, working mostly on special teams.

When Pierre-Louis was a free agent, his opinion of Nagy was partly why he chose the Bears over at least two other teams and signed a one-year, $805,000 deal.

“There’s a lot of positive things here, connections,” he said. “It seemed like it was gonna be a great fit for where I’m heading in my career.”

At 28, there could be plenty of career left for Pierre-Louis.

He’s intent on staying team-first and said any of the other backup linebackers would do just as well filling in for Smith, but he has a huge chance to audition for a future with the Bears or another team. If all goes well, he’ll be their starter the rest of the season, and that’s an opportunity he has never had.