On Thursday, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson warned veteran players who planned to miss voluntary practices this week that they needed to show up for training camp in shape. Johnson’s staff needs the preseason to determine playing time for the roster in the upcoming season.
The status of Montez Sweat isn’t up in the air this offseason. The Bears are going to count on the 2023 Pro Bowl defensive end to be a pass-rushing force as a starter in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme.
Sweat is coming off a 5.5 sack campaign in 2024, a down season for the 28-year-old defensive end. He recorded 6.0 sacks for the Bears in the nine games he played for the team in 2023 after being traded from the Washington Commanders.
Does Montez Sweat have the most to prove?
In an article published by the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, Dan Wiederer and Brad Biggs named Sweat as the defender on the Bears with the most to prove in the upcoming season.
“He’s making $21 million this season,” Biggs wrote of Sweat. “Is he the player who recorded a combined 12½ sacks in 2023, when he led both the Bears and Washington Commanders, or is he more like the guy who had 5½ sacks last season?
“Sweat played through a couple of injuries in 2024 and was on the field for 16 games. If he can remain healthy, it’s fair to hope the additions of Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo will boost Sweat’s production.”
The improved interior defensive line should help Sweat, but there are questions about Odeyingbo.
The former Indianapolis Colts draft pick sat out the final two days of mandatory minicamp, and Dominique Robinson was working with the first team. There are no indications Oedyingbo separated himself from the 3.0 sack player he was in 2024.
The Chicago Bears are counting on Sweat
Wiederer thinks the $98 million payday from general manager Ryan Poles means the onus is on Sweat to elevate Chicago’s defense. His sack total in 2024 wasn’t good enough.
“The Bears invested in Sweat with the belief he could become an elite pass rusher, capable of making an impact in every quarter of every game. That didn’t happen in 2024. Sweat missed the Week 9 game against the Arizona Cardinals with a shin injury and didn’t seem fully healthy down the stretch.
“With reinforcements to the line and new coordinator Dennis Allen vowing to play with an attacking style, Sweat should be eager to make a bigger splash in 2025. Finding a way to make his presence felt regularly would go a long way toward elevating the entire defense.”
Poles has not taken a defensive end in the first two rounds of any of the four drafts he’s presided over. Poles and Chicago are counting on Sweat to be a Pro Bowl player on the defense because they don’t have another option at the position.
Sweat should be feeling the heat from a front office that put the bulk of their pass-rushing chips on him a year and a half after trading Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers.
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