in need of pass rush help, the Chicago Bears acquired Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders before the 2023 trade deadline. He was a force afterward, in line with how well the defense performed, with six sacks and 14 quarterback hits in nine games as a Bear to end that season.
Last year, Sweat had just 5.5 sacks in his first full season with the Bears (16 games). A dose of negative game scripts wasn't helpful, with five losses by at least 16 points during a 10-game losing streak, but his pass rush win rate (according to Pro Football Focus) was actually a bit better last year compared to 2023 as a whole.
That said, even accounting for one fewer game, Sweat had 64 quarterback pressures in 2023 compared to 46 last year.
In general, as we know, sacks can be random. But as Bears analyst Clay Harbor revealed, Sweat's pass rush win rate since becoming a Bear has been dismal.
Edge rusher is one of the most concerning positions for the Bears.
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) August 29, 2025
Montez sweat has a 9% pass rush win since the trade (84th in the NFL)
Dayo had 3 sacks in 17 games last year (43rd in pressures) and unimpressive in camp.
Get Za'Darius Smith on the line. #DaBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/ooPNRsNBuC
On Thursday, the Green Bay Packers shifted the balance in the NFC North by acquiring Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys. A section of fans think the Bears should have been in the conversation if Parsons was attainable in a trade, and it's possible they were.
But in an overall sense, as Harbor basically said, Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo suddenly lands as a very underwhelming starting edge rusher duo, overall and in the division now that Parsons is in Green Bay.
Micah Parsons trade naturally ramps up pressure on Montez Sweat
Parsons has also of course changed the pecking order of top pass rushers in the NFC North. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports has ranked the former Cowboy as the No. 1 pass rusher in the division now, with Sweat coming in at No. 5 in the top-five ranking.
"Sweat is entering his second full season with the Bears after Chicago traded for him in the middle of the 2023 season. Overall, it was a worthwhile move for the Bears, but Sweat is coming off a somewhat down year in 2024. Over 16 games, he piled up 5.5 sacks compared to his six sacks in the nine games he played for the Bears in 2023 following the trade from Washington. His time to pressure was also the slowest of his career at 2.7 seconds. However, he did register a 14.4% pressure rate, which is the second-highest of his career, and was better than the 13.8% pressure rate he had in that half-season showing in 2023. Sweat is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination and would be much higher regarded in other divisions across the league, but in this loaded group, he's a tier or two below. "
Read more: Bears add two familiar faces via waiver claims after roster cuts
The Vikings have one of the top edge rusher duos in the NFL (Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel). The Lions have Aidan Hutchinson back healthy. The Packers now have Parsons. The Bears already needed Sweat to re-elevate his game this season, but if he can't do so their pass rush will be quite lame compared to their division rivals.