Montez Sweat didn’t sidestep the mistake that cost him two games.
The Chicago Bears defensive end addressed his suspension on Tuesday, apologizing to teammates and fans while making clear he understood the damage done after violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy. He described the ordeal as “devastating” and said he has to carry the consequences with him.
“It’s definitely something I got to live with for my career,” Sweat said. “I never want to cheat the game, and I would never do it intentionally, but what happened, happened and I’m moving forward.”
Sweat did not explain what triggered the positive test, but he did say the issue was accidental. He also took complete responsibility for whatever entered his body, stressing that the fault was not with the Bears’ support staff.
“I take the responsibility full upon myself. It was nothing with the nutritional staff here or the training staff here.
It was things I was doing on my own. Yeah, take that on the chin and move forward.”
Missing the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots games hit him hard, and he made no attempt to soften that. Sweat said he felt bad facing head coach Ben Johnson after the news came down.
“Nobody wants to go look someone in the eye after you’ve done something detrimental like that to the team, but those are things you have to do to move forward.”
There was at least one silver lining for Chicago: the suspension came in a short window, with the two games crammed into a quick turnaround from Week 6 to Week 7. Sweat was back around the facility as the team returned to practice on Tuesday, giving reporters a chance to hear from him in person.
On the field, the Bears didn’t collapse without him. According to Next Gen Stats, they recorded seven sacks and 33 quarterback pressures across those two games. Daniel Hardy took on a larger workload and, by the end of it, had made a case for more snaps.
The suspension also came with a financial sting. Sweat forfeited about $2.3 million from two missed game checks, and the remaining $12.7 million of his 2025 base salary is no longer guaranteed. His 2027 salary is listed at $21 million and is not guaranteed.
Sweat didn’t have much to say about what comes after this season, which hardly came as a surprise given the uncertainty around his future. For now, though, the Bears have him back on the defensive line, and he can put the suspension behind him and turn his attention to the rest of the year.
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With Buckner off the board, the conversation now shifts to a handful of alternative names who could still be in play over the coming weeks. Chicago can circle familiar options like Vita Vea, Moro Ojomo, Daron Payne, Grover Stewart, Zach Seiler and AShawn Robinson, but the most eye-catching fallback sits in Tennessee, where one big-name target would require a massive price tag and a trade package reminiscent of the Khalil Mack deal. For a Bears team trying to close the gap, the question is not whether help is needed. It is how far they are willing to go to get it. [Read more 🡒]