Ryan Poles said from the outset that he expected to get an extension done with Montez Sweat after the trade went through. The Chicago Bears GM kept his word. A mere four days after completing the acquisition, the two sides agreed on a four-year extension worth $98 million, including a guaranteed $72 million. This locks Sweat in for at least the next three seasons, giving the Bears some much-needed juice on the defensive line. However, as is always the case, plenty of people feel the organization paid too much. How can they justify giving $24.5 million per year to a player who’s never had 10 sacks in a season?
Of course, nobody bothers to mention Green Bay did pretty much the same thing with Rashan Gary. Yes, it’s a lot of money. However, it is the going rate for a quality pass rusher in his prime. The Bears were projected to have $110 million in cap space next year. They could easily afford it. He is also nowhere close to the highest-paid player, as Nick Bosa is earning almost $10 million more per year than he is.
Lastly, there is one factor people are overlooking. Sweat’s numbers look somewhat high now, but within the next year, it will start looking like a steal. Here is a list of notable pass rushers who are likely to begin inking new contracts in the near future.
- Micah Parsons
- Chase Young
- Myles Garrett
- Josh Sweat
- Josh Allen
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Brian Burns
There is a strong probability at least three of those names will secure bigger deals—probably more. Sweat could soon go from the fourth-highest-paid edge rusher to the 9th or 10th.
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The Bears secured Montez Sweat at the perfect time.
If they had waited until closer to free agency next year, there is a strong possibility one or two of those listed names might’ve gotten new deals. That could’ve driven the price up even further. Poles understood that time was of the essence. What might look like a pricey contract now may look like a bargain within the next 6-12 months. Poles accomplished this and will still have over $81 million in cap space to conduct other business. One last bonus is that by trading for Sweat, the Bears don’t have to worry about the compensatory pick formula if they avoid spending in free agency.
People can debate whether they paid too much in draft currency. That is fine. The Chase Claypool blunder earned such reservations. However, those same people have no leg to stand on regarding the contract Montez Sweat got. His production and track record justified it. He had additional leverage with free agency looming. Even then, Poles still managed to secure him at a reasonable price. Remember that once you see the monster deals Parsons and Burns grab soon.
