Game vs. former team is prime spot for Montez Sweat to start justifying his cost

At the 2023 trade deadline, apparently thinking they needed the final piece of what could be a really good defense, the Chicago Bears sent a second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat. Right afterward, they signed him to a four-year, $98 million contract extension.

Over his first nine games as a Bear, to end the 2023 season, Sweat had six sacks and 14 quarterback hits. The overall dysfunction that was going on last season hurt everyone, but Sweat still had a disappointing first full season in Chicago with just 5.5 sacks over 16 games.

Looking deeper, going into the season, with a h/t to Bears' analyst Clay Harbor, Sweat had just a nine percent pass rush win rate since the trade (84th in the league, presumably among qualified edge rushers over that span).

The pressure was clearly on Sweat to start justifying the investment the Bears have made.

As the Bears come out of their bye week, Sweat has one sack and three quarterback hits in four games this season. According to Pro Football Focus, his 13.1 percent pass rush win rate is outside the top-55 among qualified edge rushers.

Even with some notable edge rusher contracts that have been done recently, Sweat is still the 11th-highest paid edge rusher in the NFL right now at $24.5 million per year.

Primetime game against former team provides moment for Montez Sweat to step up

Ahead of the Bears' game Monday night against the Commanders, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column looking at Sweat. He then appeared on 670 The Score's "Mully and Haugh" to talk about the Bears' highly paid edge rusher.

"The thing with Sweat is the production has been lacking for an extended period of time now", Biggs said. "Sweat played through a ton of injuries last year. He was on the injury report with three different body parts. Not listed was the elbow, which was an issue for him as well. So you're talking about four injuries, and he answered the bell every week last season."

Sweat actually missed one game last season, but Biggs' broader point about him playing through a litany of injuries still stands.

Biggs passed along the note from his column about 68 players having more sacks and 69 players having more quarterback hits than Sweat since the start of last season. His status as a "multiplier" (general manager Ryan Poles' word), someone who makes everyone around him better while also compiling his own stats, has not come to fruition,

Biggs then got to the bottom line.

"The Bears have an issue here," Biggs says. "Because his contract is averaging $24.5 million per year. I looked like a deadline deal gone right, when the trade was made, when you saw the impact he had on that defense in the second half of 2023. He hasn't been the same player since then."

Read more: Former Bear has advice for Tyrique Stevenson before returning to play Commanders

If Sweat is ever going to justify what it cost the Bears to acquire him and pay him, Monday night against his former team would be a good time to start.