One of the biggest moves ahead of this year’s NFL trade deadline was the Chicago Bears acquiring defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders. For the second straight year, Chicago traded away a second-round pick ahead of the deadline to make a splash.
Last year, the trade didn’t work out at all as the Bears landed wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers. For how much of a disaster that deal was, acquiring Sweat has been a positive.
Since landing Sweat, the Bears’ performance on defense has improved immensely. With him in the mix, Chicago has played like a top-five defense. Their pass rush has come to life, which has led to production across the board.
NFL News & Rumors: Montez Sweat, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears Updates
They are limiting the production of opposing offenses and have been forcing a ton of turnovers. After being one of the worst defenses in the NFL the first eight weeks of the season, the Bears have turned things around, going 4-3 since the trade.
Sweat has been incredible, recording 6.0 sacks with 21 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and 20 total pressures. Despite playing only half of the games with the Bears, his 6.0 sacks are leading the team.
The excellent production that Sweat has provided the Bears has put him in a position to achieve a unique feat in the 2023 season. Not only is he leading Chicago in sacks, but he is also leading the Commanders in sacks with 6.5, as shared by NFL on CBS on X, formerly Twitter.
It is quite an impressive feat leading your team in sacks; leading two teams in sacks in the same season is a feat that no other player has ever achieved, but Sweat could become the first in the 2023 season.
NFL News & Rumors: Montez Sweat, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears Updates
Behind Sweat for the Commanders this season in sacks is defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who has 5.5, and defensive end Casey Toohill, who has 5.0. Chase Young is tied with Toohill, but he was also traded ahead of the deadline, landing with the San Franciso 49ers.
On the Bears, defensive tackle Justin Jones is second on the team with 4.5. Yannick Ngakoue has 4.0 on the season, but he is sidelined for the remainder of the 2023 season with a broken ankle.
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