After being acquired by the Bears at the trade deadline, Montez Sweat will be sticking around Chicago. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the edge rusher has agreed to a four-year extension worth $98MM in new money. Including this season, the deal is worth a total of $105MM.
[RELATED: Bears Working On Montez Sweat Extension]
The contract includes close to $73MM in guaranteed money, according to Rapoport. With a $24.5MM average annual value, Sweat should now rank fifth among pass rushers in yearly money.
That’s certainly a lot of money for a player with zero Pro Bowl appearances, zero All-Pro nods, and zero 10-sack seasons on his resume. However, Sweat should be on his way to accomplishing most (if not all) of those feats this season. In his eight starts with the Commanders, the 27-year-old collected 6.5 sacks to go along with 32 tackles, 11 QB hits, and a pair of forced fumbles.
Pro Football Focus has Sweat ranked 28th among 107 qualifying edge rushers, although the site gives him a top-three grade at the position for his run defense. Further, the site ranked him as a top-10 edge rusher in 2022, with Sweat finishing that campaign with 8.5 sacks, 28 QB hits, and 14 tackles for loss. The former first-round pick is just finishing his rookie contract, and while he doesn’t have the track record of some of the league’s other top-paid pass rushers, the Bears are clearly banking on his upside.
The Bears sent a second-round pick to Washington for the edge rusher at the trade deadline. The front office certainly raised some eyebrows with the move; the second-round pick should come early considering Chicago’s 2-6 record, and Sweat was set to hit free agency following the 2023 campaign. The Bears made is abundantly clear that they intended to re-sign the impending free agent, although Sweat was noncommittal after joining the team.
“I think all that goes into play from financial to the people around me to the players in the building, all that type of stuff like that,” Sweat said earlier this week. “I just got here. I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going to lay my head at tonight.”
Chicago ultimately didn’t take long to get the deal done. The trade and extension isn’t unlike last year when the Dolphins traded for Bradley Chubb hours before the trade deadline. Two days later, they finished out extension talks.
Of course, considering the draft capital they gave up, the Bears were prepared to use the franchise tag on Sweat if the two sides couldn’t agree to a new deal. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, the Bears can now use that tag on someone like cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who wasn’t dealt at the deadline despite a public trade request.
Chicago, which traded Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn last year, has rolled out one of the worst pass-rushing units in the NFL over the past two campaigns. They’ll now be counting on Sweat to be guiding that grouping for the foreseeable future.
Cheaper than what I expected.
Looks like your math is wrong, it’s just a bit more a year than the Rashan Gary deal.
At least Poles signed one of them. He would have looked completely incompetent if either Johnson or Sweat would have walked. Now all he has to worry about is whether he’s worth it or not. And the Cap space disappears by 25 million. Awesome. A top FA DE would have cost at least that much. And he better sign Johnson too which will make it even less.
Yep, and now worst case scenario we have the ability to keep Jaylon on the tag, couldn’t tag both
Actually, he could have used the franchise tag on Sweat and transition tag on Johnson. Which, if it comes to it, he’d probly do with Johnson, like Pace did with Kyle Fuller. If someone else offers him a contract the Bears could match it, if they think he’s worth it.. Glad Sweat is locked in though..
Somebody said you can only use one tag a year. I admit I have absolutely no idea how the whole tag process works so I’ll defer to anybody who actually knows. Johnson already said he was going to be mad if Sweat got his first. So now he’s mad AND Tag material. That ought to perk him right up.
Honestly, that may be true that you can only use one tag. I read somewhere that at the deadline, Johnson asked for the same money as Diggs because they were drafted one spot apart in the same draft. But Diggs has 18 ints. Johnson has 3. That tells me all I need to know about why Poles hasn’t signed him yet.
Quite frankly, It’s been so long since the Bears had someone worth Tagging at all I have no idea what the rules are anymore.
Teams that cannot build through the draft are relegated to overspending, which should also include Jaylon now. They would be wise to spend the $18M per it would take now rather than let it get ugly later. The club makes about $450M per, so it’s not impossibly high to keep their (few) best players!
Perhaps Poles can change the organization to one that excels in the draft & gets comp picks instead of signing FAs given a few more drafts. Chucking away 2nd rounders isn’t a promising sign. He inherited a very thin roster, but in no way should he be allowed to trade away 2025 draft capital next year. I’d have this FO & staff on a short leash if I were in Pres. Kevin Warren’s place.
I would rather have Jaylon prove it the rest of the year and stay healthy. He found out his market value earlier this week. The hit rate on a starter (first 2 years) in the 2nd round is 40%. To secure one of the few available healthy and in their prime DEs is a trade I make all day with the cap space the Bears have. It is definitely not chucking away a 2nd round pick. We can all fault the Claypool deal, but no GM is 100% and I think most people were guardedly hopeful that an additional weapon for Fields would work out. I personally thought Claypool would ball out for a second contract, but he turned out to be a chump. It happens. Poles made up for it with the Carolina trade, getting a top 12 WR and a boatload of picks, including a 2025 second rounder. That trade could potentially land the Bears the 1st pick for a second straight season and give them a chance at a franchise QB, if Fields is not, which could allow them to do that with no added cost while trading Fields to recoup the draft capital from those deals. Poles orchestrated a much-needed complete roster teardown which takes time, but everyone wants instant results. He has addressed the three most pressing needs on the roster in very short order this season. Adding a top WR, potentially franchise OT, and a top DE, all while still having 2 high first rounders next season, 2 seconds in 2025, and tons of cap space. Is there still work to be done? Absolutely, but for the first time in a long time you can see a direction and a plan for this club. I will take that. Everyone needs to chill out and remember what we have been through the last 10 plus years prior to Poles. Will it all end in a long playoff string and potential Super Bowls? Time will tell, but the plan is sound.
What the Bears make or not makes no difference. The NFL has a salary cap. The Bears have typically, albeit poorly, spent close to that. The cheap narrative is old going back to Halas’s pre-cap days. It is not reality.
Building through the draft is a must in the cap age, but the successful teams build their team’s with some starters, hitting on some good ones, and depth through the draft then augment that with trading for a superstar. Case in point, Philadelphia with Brown/Slay, and SF with CMC. There is only one Andy Reid and he isn’t coming to Chicago. Poles is starting to accomplish this. His drafts have been productive at adding starters and depth, now he is starting to add. I tend to think the future is bright for the Bears. At least I am way more hopeful than I have been in a long time.
Oh, add in a hopefully new state of the art stadium in the next five years. The Bears will easlily be worth over $2B in very short order.
This was poetic. *chef’s kiss*
It’s true that Sweat may indeed prove to be worth a very high 2nd, although the 35th pick would cost around $9.5M total over 4 years, approximately $90M less than Sweats deal. That is a lot of flexibility.
However, I’m fine with letting the FO go one more year and see how they build the type of depth to compete year in year out.
I really hope Fields balls out the rest of the way, making those high 1sts so flexible they can draft young AllPro type starters instead of beginning the QB carousel again.
Actually the Bears defensive line should be fairly well set next year. With Billings, Dexter and Pickens signed already, And Sweat at DE and Walker as a backup that’s not a bad start. Let’s see how Ngaouke and Sweat do opposite each other and maybe bring Ngaouke back but surely not at 10 million bucks. He’s proven he’s not a difference maker. CB is pretty well set and deep leaving Safety a hole and LB looks decent. With 2 4th rd. picks a LB should be easy to find for more depth. The problem is what to do with the 2 1st round picks. You can’t trade down again, Unless you don’t move too far back. Harrison should the target here, Now for the other one. If you draft
another QB that’s OK. Then you have to trade Fields hopefully for at least 2 day 2 picks that Poles launched away. If you draft the DE you need then you’re stuck with Fields and Bagent and anybody you can find in FA that’s better than Petermann which can’t be that hard. Sweat for that day 2 pick had better work out or Poles is in trouble. The Bears need more draft capital and trading down the 2 firsts shouldn’t be an option. Luckily all their own picks they have in each round should be top round picks and traded for more picks as they really need depth. They better draft a C, Or sign one at least But since the O line is brittle, You better have backups, Or make these guys backups.
2 more things Poles needs to do is resign Santos whose deal is up this year, And the only RB’s signed for next year are Johnson and Homer and Homer blows. So he needs to figure out who he likes better between Foreman and Herbert and sign one of them, And I’d add Evans too for some depth. Every time the guy gets an opportunity with the Bears he steps up. They can’t let him go again.
Uhh okay
I hate that trade quite a bit less for Chicago now. Good for Sweat for getting top 5 money at the position, as I thought he should ensure before extending there.
Just read an interesting take on the trade and signing. The Bears could decline Justin’s 5th year option & then have 2 high 1st round picks and grab a new QB on a rookie deal. That would free up more funds for them in FA.
I saw something about that as well. Thought provoking stuff. But they might do even better (IF Fields is at least pretty good the rest of the way), by trading him after the season. Let another team pick up the 5th year and the Bears get some additional draft capital.. It’s gonna be interesting to see.
I think it would be smarter to extend the 5th year option, let the rookie sit for at least part of his first year, and then trade Fields to a QB needy team. There are always teams that will need QBs and pay dearly for one with potential, even if it is tarnished a bit. It might not be a 1st rounder, but it should be at least a couple mid rounders. That way you are only paying rookie scale for them both.
I think Murray and Jines deal has taught you unless they are franchise guys you draft a new one.
Jaylons gunna be pissed
He will get over it. He has been a middling (ok maybe a little better than that) CB up until this “get paid” season. He will get paid by the Bears or another team.
I guess the bit I read about him being on the verge of leaving the Bears minutes after finding out he was traded there was incorrect.
Or, the giant pile of money they pushed in front of him changed his mind…
Is it APril first already?
I get the Bears wanting a guy that is an edge rusher, but this feels like an insane over pay…
I hope the new head coach and defensive co-ordinator keep him at DE instead of trying to get cute and use him as OLB ..
And so we are clear, all it cost DA Bears! was a high second rd pick (32-42) and spanking new contract with an AAV north of 20 mill , not too shabby.. sh** they got the cap space , and we all know , when you suck you gotta pay up for talent.
Yeah the pick stings a bit , but only for now. They have two first rounders (probably high ones to boot) they can easily trade back from one of them and recoup plenty of draft capital.
Fields ain’t “The One”. Period. Unapologetically not “Franchise QB”
While talented for sure, he’s basic at the most important fundamentals … but he can run.
To be fair, from what I’ve seen, since he hasn’t had the protection or weapons, he hasn’t had the luxury of extending plays … so he runs.
The most important problem with that is running a team is a business. All the faith and scouting in the world won’t move the needle financially if your Franchise QB is more of an Escape Artist than Field General.
All that to say:
keep your picks, draft Caleb and OL … unless the planets align with top 2 then grab Harrison Jr … and work the phones for protection on the O-Line
Easy for me to say?
Sho’ ‘Nuff
… but isn’t this a comment board? lol
This year it’s been of the opposite. He stays in the pocket way to long. It’s like his coaches told him to, and not run, so that’s what he does. A QB has max 3 seconds to throw the ball, or you better move. But he doesn’t, then takes a sack. He’s been beyond frustrating to watch. He has no feel for the pocket at all.
The next time I see Fields step up in the pocket will be the first time I see him step up in the pocket. There have been so many times I’ve seen the tackles push their man to the outside of Fields ( Like they’re supposed to) and right into Fields who’s already bolted. Fields gets sacked, The tackle gets the blame( wrongly) and there you go. I’ve seen Bagent step up more in 2 games than Fields has in 3 years.
Yep. The whole point of being mobile is to extend plays when the OL breaks down, not stand there like a statue. If he doesn’t know how to read the pocket after 3 years, he never will. Plus he hasn’t shown he can make tough throws under pressure yet, or not turn the ball over. Watching Levis’ 2nd career NFL start on Thursday, I thought he was already well ahead of Fields.
I watched the USC Washington game last night. Caleb tries to scramble too much and is careless with the football. They said he had ton of fumbles. Rather than throwing it away or taking a sack, he does the college QB ‘roll left, roll right, drop back, get sacked’ routine.
Plus he can’t beat a top 25 team.
Caleb is not the best QB for the Bears. Maye or Nix would fit Getsy’s offense better than Caleb who’s a Fields 2.0. Either one could be a target for the Bears depending on if they trade down the 2nd 1st round pick. Harrison has to be the focus then the needs are Edge and OT in no particular order. Edge and OT are the most expensive FA positions with WR not far behind. If you have a chance to draft studs there you have to take your shot. The key to speeding things up would be to trade Fields and see what you get first then come up with a plan. Actually I was really hoping the Bears would take a flyer on Hendon Hooker last year. He would look a lot better on the Bears than Pickens who they took instead of Hooker.
I would not draft Caleb after his showing Vs ND, in that game he appeared to be like Field 2.0 (at least at an NFL level)
Contract Negotiations were NO SWEAT !!
I see what you did there…