The Commanders and Bears agreed to a trade Tuesday that sends protective end Montez Sweat to Chicago for a 2024 alternate-round pick.
The trade is pending Sweat passing a physical. ” Montez Sweat is a huge addition to our platoon,” Bears general director Ryan Poles said, according to the platoon’s website.” He’s not only a great player but a great person. We anticipate him to help elevate our defense.”
Montez Sweat’s Journey to Chicago:
Montez Sweat, 27, is in the last time of his contract, and the Commanders are concluding for a draft pick now rather than the compensatory selection they might admit if Sweat inked away as a free agent coming time.
The Commanders(3-5) also traded protective end Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Acquiring Sweat injects gift into Chicago’s league- worst pass rush at the halfway point of the season. The Bears( 2- 6) replaced three of their four starters along the protective line ahead of the 2023 season in free agency and spent alternate- and third-round draft picks on protective tackles Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens. This season, the Bears rank 30th in the NFL with 46 pressures and an NFL-low 10 sacks.
Through eight games, Sweat has 6.5 sacks, bringing his career total to 35.5 in five seasons.
Chicago’s 2024 alternate-round selection is presently No. 35 in the draft. At the trade deadline in 2022, the Bears transferred their own alternate-round pick to Pittsburgh for wide receiver Chase Claypool, who played in 10 games in Chicago. The Bears defeated Washington in Week 5 and then traded Claypool to the Miami Dolphins.
For the Commanders, the move is a nod to their losing record and the difficulty of keeping their protective line complete. Sweat and Kin are free agents after this season. Washington formerly has given out big contracts to protective tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen in the once two seasons. In the offseason Washington had expressed a desire to extend Sweat, but with the power situation in flux- Josh Harris didn’t take over until late July- addresses noway developed. The Commanders also had told Young they would award him if he’d a productive season.
The high- priced line didn’t affect in productive play by the defense. Washington is tied for sixth in the league with 25 sacks, but 23rd in pass rush palm rate. Among protective linemen, Young ranks fifth in this area- but none of his linemates is in the top 55.
Washington drafted Montez Sweat with the 26th selection of the 2019 NFL draft, a pick attained when the platoon traded back into the first round.
Montez Sweat was an immediate full- time starter and has been productive, though he has yet to finish with further than nine sacks in a season. He’s one of seven players with at least five sacks in each of the once five seasons, along with Chris Jones, Myles Garrett, T.J. ESPN Stats & Information lists Brian Burns, Maxx Crosby, Khalil Mack, and Watt.
He’s also considered a strong run protector and has been durable. Montez Sweat missed seven games in 2021 when he suffered a broken jaw, sat out one week because of COVID and two others after his family was shot and killed. Nevertheless, Sweat hasn’t missed a game in his other four seasons.