Only a few days removed from acquiring him at the NFL trade deadline, the Chicago Bears have announced a 4 year extension with pass rusher Montez Sweat.
The new deal is valued at $98M and includes $72M in guarantees, with $56M of the contract paid out by the end of 2025. Sweat was playing on the final year of his rookie contract and was set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
“We expect him to come here and help our entire team get better,” GM Ryan Poles said following the trade deadline. “We see him as a long, fast, explosive, relentless defensive end that can help us both in the run and in the pass game and really, I see him as a multiplier. He’s going to allow everyone to play better, our entire defensive front, our corners, our safeties.”
Originally taken in the 1st round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the 27 year old has posted 6.5 sacks, 11 QB hits and 10 tackles for loss on the season thus far. Chicago entered Week 9 with a league low 10 sacks, and was in desperate need of help along their defensive front, which was why Poles was willing to pay a premium (a 2024 2nd rounder) to acquire Sweat.
The former Washington standout is now the highest paid player on the Bears roster, and the 5th highest paid edge rusher, clocking in at an AAV of $24.5M.
By completing an extension, the 2-6 Bears also avoid needing to use their franchise tag on the defensive lineman, opening up the possibility of using it on 4th year DB Jaylon Johnson. The front office is currently at an impasse with Johnson’s camp, and reportedly gave him permission to seek a trade prior to the Oct 31st trade deadline.
Chicago and their newly signed edge rusher will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints Sunday in a 1pm ET showdown.
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