What Did the Bears Trade To Get Montez Sweat?

The Chicago Bears spent their Halloween scouring for defensive help — the kind that starts up front and could help ignite a disappointing pass rush that had 10 sacks through eight games.

Their Oct. 31 present came by swooping up Montez Sweat of the Washington Commanders via trade. The same Sweat who has delivered five seasons of producing 6.5 sacks or higher, including the 2023 season. But what did the Bears sacrifice to snatch him?

Looking Back at What the Bears Surrendered To Nab Montez Sweat

With the Bears making a deal before the NFL’s trade deadline, it came with a necessary sacrifice on Chicago’s end.

That sacrifice was sending the Bears’ 2024 second-round draft selection to the Commanders.

With Sweat having 6.5 sacks in 2023 in tow, plus still being on his rookie deal, it became apparent that he was going to be worth a high draft pick to get him.

Chicago, though, was considered a surprise team linked to Sweat. Most fans and analysts predicted Sweat would end up bolstering a contender like the San Francisco 49ers, who ended up with his former Commanders teammate Chase Young.

MORE: Chicago Bears Depth Chart

The Bears, though, swung big for Sweat and ended up with a home-run trade. One reason why Sweat’s name was brought into trade chatter was he was in the final season of his rookie deal, making him an unrestricted free agent for 2024. And he had become too expensive to keep in the nation’s capital.

Furthermore, they ended up agreeing to a four-year extension that pays him up to $98 million.

How Did Sweat Fare in His Bears Debut?

Sweat didn’t take long to see his first action in the Chicago defense.

Per Pro Football Reference advanced stats, Sweat managed to see action on 43 different plays. And 41 were involved with him putting his hand to the ground and firing off the line.

Sweat’s final tally: collecting two solo tackles and even deflected one pass. And while he didn’t record a single sack against the New Orleans Saints, he still posted a season-high 25% pass-rush win rate, according to ESPN. His Bears, though, fell 24-17 down in New Orleans.

Still, his performance in such short timing impressed his new head coach, Matt Eberflus, after the game.

“He looked good,” Eberflus said postgame. “He had a couple of good pressures there. He is getting his feet wet, different style of defense, different style of terminology. For him to come in and play that many plays was cool.”

Now, Sweat is getting a Carolina Panthers’ pass protection that has surrendered 29 sacks through eight games this season, which is an average of 3.6 per game. Plus, in his last three games, Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young has been sacked a combined 14 times. Signs are indicating that Sweat will soon have his first sack in a Bears uniform.

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