This Montez Sweat stat is embarrassing for the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears identified defensive end Montez Sweat as a difference maker for their defensive line and that would be the reason why the team felt comfortable sending a 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Commanders at the NFL Trade Deadline for Sweat.

Before Sweat debuted for the Bears against the New Orleans Saints, the Bears followed the trade up by signing the pass rusher to a lucrative four-year contract extension worth $98MM.

Sweat, to his credit, has proved to be a difference-maker for the Bears and has elevated the play of the defensive line as a whole.

That would be the reason why Bears head coach Matt Eberflus drew criticism for the fact that Sweat was only on the field for 63% of the team’s defensive snaps during their loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. By comparison, Lions’ star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson played 92% of the defensive snaps for Detroit.

Eberflus was asked about Sweat’s playing time on Monday and his response was baffling.

"“You just got to platoon them and get them in there fresh,” Eberflus told reporters. “And when those lead dogs are fresh, you put them back in. You just got to do that because those guys are throwing their fastball every time. Sweat’s one of our best players, he really is and that’s just how we do it. We platoon our guys and keep them fresh that way. That’s how we do it.”–Bears Wire via USA Today"

The Bears are paying Sweat to be a star on the defensive line and his play has proved why general manager Ryan Poles was correct to identify the pass rusher as a priority at the trade deadline. The issue is that Eberflus is treating Sweat like a rotational player.

At the end of the season, this will be another item that Poles will point to in explaining why Eberflus was fired. The Bears’ coaching staff is a staff that coaches their team to lose and they do not know how to finish games. Not having your best players on the field when the game hangs in the balance is a fireable offense and serves as another reminder that Eberflus is out of his element as a head coach in the NFL.