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Help is finally on the way for the ailing Chicago Bears pass rush.
Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat is headed to the Bears for a 2024 second-round pick. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport on Tuesday morning.
Sweat is 27 years old and on the final year of his contract. He has 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits through eight games in 2024.
By comparison, the Bears defensive ends have combined for five sacks, 11 TFLs and 13 QB hits so far.
Against the Bears on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, Sweat had six total tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Sweat was selected by the Commanders with the No. 26 pick out of Mississippi State in the 2019 NFL draft and has collected 35.5 sacks in the 4 1/2 seasons since.
It’s the second straight NFL trade deadline that Ryan Poles has made a big move. Last fall, the Bears GM shook up the roster in a big way, sending star linebacker Roquan Smith to Baltimore and then acquiring wide receiver Chase Claypool from Pittsburgh.
The next logical step for the Bears would be to work on a possible contract extension for their new defensive lineman. The latest pass rusher to get an extension was the Packers’ Rashan Gary, who agreed to a 4-year, $107 million extension on Monday.
Sweat becomes the newest lineman the Bears have added to their current roster. On Aug 4, the Bears signed Yannick Ngakoue to a 1-year, $10.5 million deal with 10 million guaranteed.
Going into the 2023 season, the Bears already made several moves to upgrade their defensive line. General manager Ryan Poles signed DeMarcus Walker to a 3-year, $21 million deal and added Andrew Billings to a 1-year, $2,750,000 contract. The Bears also selected Gervon Dexter Sr. with the No. 53 overall pick, Zacch Pickens with the 64th pick in the third round and took Travis Bell with the 218th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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