Chicago Bears News: No extension assurances for Montez Sweat

There were eyebrows raised throughout the NFL on Tuesday at the NFL Trade Deadline when the Chicago Bears dealt a 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat.

For a Bears team that made the mistake last season where they addressed their free-agency shopping early with a trade for then Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool, there was a fear that the team was making the same mistake with Sweat.

Unlike Claypool at the time of the trade last season, Sweat should have an immediate impact for the Bears and appears to be in the middle of an ascension toward being one of the top pass rushers in all of the NFL.

Given the ascension that Sweat is on, the Bears trade on Tuesday should be applauded though, the caveat is that the defensive end remains with the team beyond this season.

Despite there being a belief that the Bears may have had an assurance that Sweat would sign an extension with the team, there does not appear to be any extension talks going on. Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN report (Subscription Required) report that the team has yet to have extension negotiations with Sweat. Beyond that, there was a note that Sweat was eyeing a trade to the Atlanta Falcons.

The Chicago Bears have yet to engage in contract extension talks with newly acquired defensive end Montez Sweat after the trade on Tuesday.

Let’s be clear about one thing, the Bears have to make sure that Sweat is with the team beyond this season. If that does not happen, then general manager Ryan Poles needs to be fired on the spot.

In addition, while the Bears certainly could use the franchise tag on Sweat that may complicate matters with cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Johnson is not expected to engage in contract negotiations with the Bears in-season and if the team uses the franchise tag on Sweat, that would prevent them from using the tag on their primary cornerback.