Star linebacker Roquan Smith is one year removed from being traded from the Chicago Bears to the Baltimore Ravens, and he believes it was the best thing that could’ve happened for his career.

Smith recently explained to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer (h/t Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago) how much he appreciates the opportunity to compete for a title contender:

“Man, it’s pretty crazy thinking back to when I was initially traded. It was bittersweet for me, just knowing Chicago and rightfully so. But if I would’ve stayed there, honestly, [I] wouldn’t have been able to compete for a title anytime soon. … And when I just think about it from the perspective of having the opportunity to compete for one year in and year out with the talent we have. Man, it makes me so happy, just knowing my career is not going down the drain, in the sense of playing somewhere where I’m not truly competing for a title.”

Smith requested to be traded from the Bears in the summer of 2022 due to his unhappiness with negotiations for a contract extension. He released a statement saying that Chicago didn’t “negotiate in good faith” because the team’s offer would have been bad not only for him but for the linebacker market as a whole.

The Bears dealt Smith to the Ravens at the 2022 trade deadline. He admitted that the trade caught him off-guard.

“I didn’t plan to [get traded], but you know, life happens at times and got traded,” Smith said after his first practice in Baltimore. “So initially I was shocked. But I’m excited to be here. Good group of guys that are contending for a title, and that’s what I’m in the game to play for–playing for a title.”

Now, Smith is one of the leaders of a Ravens defense that leads the NFL in scoring defense at 13.8 points per game and ranks second by holding opponents to 262.6 yards per game. He leads the team with 87 total tackles while also adding five passes defended, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

“Honestly, man, it means the world to me, being a Raven,” he said. “And how they came and got me when I was in Chicago and just all the love they showed me throughout my time here, I just only imagine it’s gonna grow even bigger. So when I think about it from that perspective, I pride myself on playing until the whistle, playing every single play as hard as I can. But like just being here, there’s something about that makes you want to go even harder, with all the legends that came before me, like Ed [Reed], Ray [Lewis], Bart [Scott].”

Smith and the Ravens (7-2) will be going for their fifth straight win when they host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.