The Chicago Bears' defense has taken their hits from the media this offseason after a disappointing first season under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen due to a lack of a pass rush, but that wasn't edge rusher Montez Sweat's fault.
Sweat was one of the few bright spots in the Bears' defense last season, racking up 10 sacks and contributing nearly 30% of the sack total for Chicago as the team had just 33 in 17 regular season games. Recently, NFL players ranked Montez as the 91st-best player in the league going into the 2026 season.
While league personnel like Sweat, ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler's survey suggests a different feeling about him. Fowler spoke with executives, scouts, and coaches about the best edge rushers in the league, and while Sweat did receive votes, he was not in the top 10 or an honorable mention, as he fell under the "also receiving votes" category.
NFL has not idea what kind of motivation they just gave Montez Sweat
Sweat had a strong season for the Bears in 2025, finishing with 53 tackles, 54 pressures, 37 hurries, 18 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, five pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 17 games. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 71.2, ranking 42nd out of 115 edge rushers in the NFL last year.
This Bears defense would be lost without Sweat coming off the edge and all the work he does. Yes, he's a great pass rusher, but the way he can disrupt an offense's passing game is an underrated part of his game, specifically the five pass deflections he had last year. Even if he wasn't getting the sack, he was making sure he was slowing down the passing game.
Entering 2026, Sweat will most likely have more pressure on him to step up since the Bears wildly decided not to add any new edge rushers to the room. Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker have a lot to prove to the Bears coaching staff to see who will be the other starter opposite Sweat.
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Last season was at least a good indication that Sweat had found his groove again, as Bears head coach Ben Johnson boldly called 2025 Sweat's best season of his career. 2026 has the potential to be even better than last year.
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