It looks like something is building in Chicago. The Bears have now taken a step towards becoming one of the best passers in the league and thus taken another step towards becoming a solid team. If they can retain the services of their cornerback, this could actually be the start of something.
Montez Sweat and Chicago Bears agree to extension
According to reports, Sweatshirt Montez and the Chicago Bears agreed to terms on a four-year, $98 million contract extension. The news, of course, comes just days after the team traded him. In exchange for the former Commanders player, the Bears sent a second-round pick to Washington. As it stands, Sweat, who now becomes the fifth-highest paid passer in the NFL, is expected to start against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. To be clear, his average annual worth now stands at $24.5 million, which is just below Myles Garrett who has 25 million dollars.
It must be said that Sweat’s decision is somewhat surprising given the slow market for this position. Consider for a moment that when it comes to passers, we’ve only seen the Packers lock down. Rashan Gary for a long-term extension, while Brian Brule looks set to receive the franchise tag after the Panthers refused to trade him at both deadlines. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the fact that next year’s Draft class is very light when it comes to standout passers. All of this is to say that the trade deadline was actually the best chance to secure a player if even the initial draft capital cost was higher. At 27 years old, Sweat represents a solid addition to the Bears roster that was already lacking in the department.
Who is Montez Sweat and what does he have to say?
Interestingly, when Sweat arrived in Chicago, he was immediately asked if an extension was being considered. “I’m sure they and my agents are talking about something,” Sweat said during his introductory press conference on Thursday. “Obviously a player always wants to be safe when playing the sport that we play.” Indeed, stability is important and probably even more so for a player who would have preferred to join the Atlanta Falcons, a team that also made an offer to the Bears for him. As a Georgia native, that’s understandable, as is his heartfelt farewell to Washington, the team that traded for him to draft him with the 26th overall pick out of Mississippi State in 2019.
As for Sweat’s numbers, he has recorded 21 solo tackles and 6.5 sacks in the eight games he has played this season. Even more impressive is the fact that Sweat is one of six players to notch at least five sacks in each of the last five seasons. All of this is to say that the Bears defense has definitely added a key piece. After all, this is a team that has a league-high 10 sacks for the year so far – no other team in the league has fewer than 15. The problem is made even worse by the fact that none of the Bears’ sacks have been credited to a defensive end this season. At this point, the Bears will now need to focus on securing a long-term deal with the cornerback. Jaylon Johnson who requested a trade before the deadline. If they can’t reach an agreement before March, the franchise tag could be an option now that Sweat’s situation is locked in for the foreseeable future.
