Chicago Bears Acquire Montez Sweat to Bolster Pass Rush
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — In a bold move, Bears general manager Ryan Poles traded Chicago’s 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Commanders in exchange for edge rusher Montez Sweat. This comes a year after Poles traded a second-round pick for wide receiver Chase Claypool. The Bears hope that acquiring Sweat now will address their lackluster pass rush.
Sweat, who is 27 years old, is currently in the final year of his contract and will become a free agent at the end of the season. Poles took the risk of trading for Sweat because he believes it is the best opportunity for the Bears to improve their pass rush. After evaluating the upcoming free agent class and the draft class, Poles decided to pay the price to bring Sweat to Chicago.
Poles explained, “We felt like this was a really good opportunity to get ahead of that and get a top pass rusher in the building. And again, that’s short term but also for long term. We’re currently working on getting a contract done now.”
The Bears had the option to wait until free agency to sign Sweat without giving up their projected No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 draft. However, Poles saw the value in bringing Sweat in now instead of waiting and hoping he would not be tagged by Washington and become available on the free agent market.
Poles expressed his reasoning, saying, “I think it’s capitalizing right now because you start to lose opportunities. It’s really hard to see … If you look at the free agent stack now, it’s going to look very different by the time you get to that point of the year because there are so many different opportunities that can pop up in terms of extensions, tags, different things like that. So we decided with that type of player we wanted to capitalize on that now.”
The Bears were initially rumored to be interested in acquiring Chase Young from Washington, but they ultimately focused on Sweat. Poles admitted that he didn’t believe Sweat would be available until recently and jumped at the opportunity to acquire him.
This marks the second year in a row that Poles has traded a second-round pick in a deadline deal. He acknowledged learning from the past but did not let it deter him from pursuing a deal to bring Sweat to Chicago. Poles emphasized the importance of being aggressive and not being afraid to make bold moves.
Sweat arrived in Chicago on Wednesday and expressed his focus on the present rather than his long-term future. He mentioned wanting “security” but will consider all factors before deciding on a long-term home.
Meanwhile, Poles has already started working on negotiating a contract extension for Sweat. He hopes to reach an agreement in the near future, but the team has the option of franchise or transition tagging Sweat if a deal cannot be reached by March.
Poles made the trade with the intention of making Sweat a cornerstone of the Bears’ rebuilding process. Despite the hefty price tag, Poles believes Sweat’s caliber as an edge rusher is worth it. He sees Sweat as someone who can make an immediate impact and contribute to the team’s rebuild.
There is still work to be done to ensure that Sweat becomes a long-term Bear, but Poles is confident that a deal can be reached. The acquisition of Sweat showcases the Bears’ commitment to improving their pass rush and building a strong team moving forward.