Montez Sweat makes history with strange NFL first after posting 12.5 sack season
Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat made NFL history on Sunday after the final games of the 2023 NFL season wrapped. Sweat became the first NFL player to lead two different teams in sacks in the same season. After notching 6.5 sacks for the Washington Commanders, he then recorded six more for the Chicago Bears.
Sweat had a sack and a half more than any other Bears defender this season, and one more sack than the next-most on the Commanders. When he joined the Bears, the defense as a whole had just 10 sacks through eight weeks.
The former first-round draft pick out of Mississippi State made the move to Chicago mid-season in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. He was in the final season of his contract with Washington when the Commanders opted to make the trade. The fifth-year defender was having a great season for the Commanders, posting 6.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss through the first eight games of the year.
After his move to Chicago, the two sides agreed to a massive four-year deal, worth $98 million. Sweat is receiving $72.865 million in guaranteed money and the deal as a whole is worth a potential $105 million.
Bears season ends with loss to Packers
Despite the Bears springing for the big addition before the trade deadline, Sweat couldn’t propel the team to the playoffs. They finished 7-10 and capped the year with a 17-9 loss against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears now have the No. 1 pick in back-to-back years in the draft to look forward to thanks to their trade with Carolina last March.
Since entering the league, Sweat’s tallied 222 total tackles, 41.5 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss and 10 forced fumbles. Next year will be his sixth in the league. He earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his five years in the business after leading both the Commanders and the Chicago Bears in sacks this season. Sweat had career highs in tackles (57), sacks (12.5), and forced fumbles (3), while also making 13.0 tackles for loss and knocking down four passes.
On top of moving Sweat to Chicago, the Commanders also traded defensive end Chase Young to the 49ers at the mid-season point. He’s made a significant impact for the No. 1-seed squad in the NFC since the trade. Young has 10 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a tackle for loss for San Francisco.