Montez Sweat wasn’t happy when the news arrived that he’d been traded to the Chicago Bears. In fact, he was furious. He couldn’t believe the Washington Commanders could give him away like that, especially in the midst of the best season of his career. All he knew at the time was they’d shipped him to an organization that hadn’t done much winning in recent years. That was why he sent a clear message that he wasn’t playing a down for the Bears until he got his contract. The team obliged four days later.
Reluctantly, Sweat suited up. From that point on, his eyes were opened. Though the Bears weren’t quite a contender yet, they had pieces in place to become something more. That was especially true on the defensive side. Jaylon Johnson at cornerback. Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards at linebacker. Yet what really stood out to the eventual Pro Bowler was the system. Matt Eberflus utilized a scheme that allowed Sweat to play free. More importantly, it was based around all 11 guys playing as one. He told Dan Pompei of The Athletic that this defense is far better than what he left behind in Washington.
After becoming a Bear, Sweat tapped into his gifts in a way he had not previously.
In Washington, the scheme called for Sweat to read and think more while reacting to what teammates were doing. With the Bears, his only concern on most snaps is getting to the quarterback, and the coaches have tried to force opposing offenses to divert blocking attention away from him.
“It’s kind of based around me,” Sweat says. “In Washington, everyone was kind of like an alpha male and they are great players, but it was hard for guys to make sacrifices for all of us to be of one accord. In Chicago, we don’t have that problem. We all work together.”
Jack Del Rio had been his defensive coordinator in Washington. His system was also 4-3 but based more around Cover-3 and quarters with an exotic blitz package. It was more about creating advantageous situations for certain players rather than instructing everybody on the field to pursue the ball. Eberflus understands that if everybody does their job from snap to snap, somebody will have a chance to make the play. By freeing Sweat from the necessity to read and react, he was allowed to use his power, length, and burst to attack up the field. Tackles had few answers for him once that happened.
It isn’t the first time the Bears have done something like this. Julius Peppers got the same treatment when he arrived in 2010. Across 48 games, he had 30.5 sacks, 46 QB hits, and 39 tackles for a loss. Based on Approximate Value, he had two of the three best seasons of his career in Chicago. That is what potentially awaits Montez Sweat, who is just as freakish as Peppers was. The best part is he’s still only 28 years old. Peppers was 30 when he arrived. The Bears have a larger window to take full advantage of his presence.
