The Chicago Bears’ defense took a pretty rough beating on Sunday. Not only did they allow 31 points in Green Bay, but they lost three starters to injuries, including defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. Nobody could’ve imagined it would get much, much worse. On Tuesday, the NFL announced it was handing down a two-game suspension to Montez Sweat for violating the league’s PED policy. This means the Bears could be without two of their top three pass rushers as they prepare to face two of the league’s hottest offenses in Atlanta and Seattle.
Make no mistake, this is a DEFCON 1 disaster for the Bears. Their secondary has already looked shaky, even when the pass rush was effective. Try to imagine how much worse it’ll get when they have to defend Drake London and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with virtually no pass rush at all. Remember, their depth at the position was never great to begin with. Marcus Davenport retired after just one game. Now Odeyingbo is hurt again, this time with a quad injury. The Bears really needed Sweat and Austin Booker to carry the load.
Montez Sweat isn’t doing his future in Chicago any favors.
It’s important to remember that he has just one more season left on his contract after 2026. Most of the guaranteed money he is owed has been paid. That means the Bears can either trade or cut him next year for $21 million in cap space. His play of late hasn’t been up to the level of expectation that contract brings. Through 5 games, Sweat has 13 total pressures. That is tied for 42nd in the NFL. Unless he returns from the suspension and goes on a tear, there is a serious possibility that the team will consider moving on in the spring.
Right now, the Bears’ list of healthy pass rushers for Sunday is Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy, Jamree Kromah, and the newly activated Shemar Turner. Far from the most inspiring group. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is creative, but he’s not a miracle worker. Could this incident be what finally compels the team to make a big move on the trade market? There are a few notable names said to be available, including former Bear Khalil Mack and Arizona Cardinals veteran Josh Sweat.
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This defense will be unrecognizable by next summer.
Rest assured, big changes are coming. Montez Sweat is not the only large contract the Bears can unload with minimal consequences. Jaylon Johnson, who has been struggling all season, would net $16 million. Odeyingbo would add $15 million, and Grady Jarrett would bring another $13.5 million. Even T.J. Edwards would bring $8.5 million. Everything is lining up for a massive overhaul on the defensive side this offseason. The Bears could push their projected cap space to $72 million with those moves.
The only uncertainty is how they’ll go about adding new pieces. A trade at the deadline could be one way to start it, followed by some aggressive moves in free agency. Their high draft picks next April are almost certain to go towards that side of the ball. It just isn’t clear if general manager Ryan Poles can pull off the kind of overhaul needed to make that unit better. Either way, Sweat’s time with the team is now clearly on the clock.
