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CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears and Montez Sweat have agreed to a long-term extension ahead of the edge rusher’s debut Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Sweat, 27, is signing a four-year contract extension worth $98 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Sweat’s new contract includes $72 million in guarantees (about $62 million guaranteed at signing), is predetermined, and he will make about $56 million through the end of 2025, a source told Dan Graziano from ESPN
Chicago sent a 2024 second-round pick to Washington on Tuesday for Sweat, who is playing in the final year of his rookie contract.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Wednesday that the team is working on an extension for Sweat and that he is “very confident” a deal will be reached.
Sweat becomes the second Bears player to receive an extension this week after Chicago gave defensive tackle Andrew Billings a two-year extension worth $8.5 million with $6 million in guarantees.
Sweat is now the highest-paid player on the team’s roster and the fifth-highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL at $24.5 million per year.
“We expect him to come here and help our entire team get better,” Poles said Wednesday. “We see him as a long, fast, explosive, relentless defensive player who can help us in both the run and the passing game, and I really see him as a multiplier. He will allow everyone to play better, our entire defense up front, our corners, our safeties.
Since being drafted in the first round in 2019, Sweat is one of six players to record at least five sacks in each of the past five seasons. This season he has 6.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for a loss.
Of the Bears’ league-low 10 sacks, only five came from their defensive ends, along with 13 quarterback hits and 11 total tackles for a loss.
Sweat will make his debut just five days after joining the Bears. Coach Matt Eberflus discussed the possibility of deploying the defense at multiple spots along the line.
“It opens up a lot of things,” Eberflus said. “You can achieve a lot of things with the caliber of player he is. And we’ve had some in the past who were like that, who were such quality players. We’re definitely trying to step it up and test them. The matchups we want, across the board. So that’s important.”
Working out a long-term extension for Sweat allows the Bears to retain their franchise title for 2024, which the team could use for cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson received permission to seek a trade before the NFL’s Oct. 31 deadline after the cornerback and the Bears failed to agree to an extension.
“We are still open to a deal and I will follow Jaylon’s lead on how he wants to go about it,” Poles said.