Bears acquire pass rusher Montez Sweat from Commanders for 2nd-round pick
The Chicago Bears have made what should be a major upgrade to their anemic pass rush, acquiring edge rusher Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2024.
The trade gives the Bears a 27-year-old disruptive defender with a pattern of consistent production. He has 6 1/2 sacks this season and 35 1/2 to go along with 197 tackles since Washington traded up to draft him with the 26th pick in 2019.
The 2-6 Bears have a league-low 10 sacks. No other team has fewer than 15.
"Montez is a huge addition to our team," Bears general manager Ryan Poles said after dealing away a second-rounder for the second time in as many years following an ill-fated 2022 trade with Pittsburgh for receiver Chase Claypool. "He is not is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense."
Sweat is in the final year of his rookie contract and looks primed for a big payday in free agency, whether it's with the Bears or elsewhere. His future in Washington looked murky after the front office committed big money to defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
Trading Young instead of signing him long term signals an organizational commitment to stockpiling draft picks for future success, even if coach Ron Rivera, GM Martin Mayhew and many of those currently in the front office won't be around to use them.
Washington took Young with the second pick in 2020, and he had 7 1/2 sacks his first pro season to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. It looked like Young, a local product, would become the face of the franchise, but he struggled early in 2021 after skipping some offseason workouts and had just 1 1/2 sacks in his first eight games.
Young tore the ACL in his right knee Nov. 14, 2021, and after a more complicated than expected surgery and lengthy recovery did not play again until Christmas Eve 2022. The team decided not to pick up his fifth-year option, setting him up to be a free agent after this season.
Following a neck injury in exhibition play that stunted his return to form and caused him to miss Week 1, Young was finally starting to produce again. Despite his five sacks, the defensive line was not the strength of the unit like it was supposed to be, and Rivera said Monday the group was "not consistently enough" playing up to expectations.
After a 38-31 loss Sunday to Philadelphia, Sweat and Young were asked repeatedly about the possibility that was their last game together. Sweat said his agent was keeping him abreast of any trade talks.
"Anything can happen, but I can only control what I can," Sweat said. "Yeah, that thought goes across your mind, but you hate to think like that."
Rivera, in his fourth season in charge of Washington's football operations, refused Monday to discuss anything related to the trade deadline, including hypothetically who would step into a starting role of Sweat or Young were no longer around. That figures to be veteran Casey Toohill, who has four sacks this season.