The Chicago Bears opened training camp Thursday, but former Georgia LB Roquan Smith was notably absent.

Smith, who was selected by Chicago with the No. 8 pick in the first round, has not yet signed his rookie contract. Without a deal, Smith isn’t suiting up.

Despite the hangup in contract negotiations, Bears general manager Ryan Pace did not seem worried. At a press conference, he said it is a complicated process that will hopefully be resolved soon.

“There’s a lot of details that go into those things,” Pace said. “We’re optimistic he’s here soon. It’s really part of the process. Meanwhile, we’re rolling forward with the guys that are here, and that chemistry and continuity is important.”

One good sign is that the Chicago front office has a working relationship with Smith’s agents.

“We’ve got a great relationship with (his) agents,” Pace said. “We’ve worked with them on a number of deals, and it’s just working through this process.”

Another encouraging sign is that Smith participated in minicamp in June despite not having signed his contract.