The Chicago Bears' 26-14 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday gave the franchise its first four-game winning streak since 2018. At the forefront of the Bears' winning streak has been the Bears' defense. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has found ways to get the most out of backups due to injuries in the back end.
That said, Chicago still needed its pass rush to be more productive. Veteran Montez Sweat, who was handed a $98 million extension in 2023, did not make an impact before the Week 4 bye week.
However, in the two games since the break, Sweat has played much better. His performance Sunday against the Saints was his best of the season, and is a big step in the direction the Bears expect from him.
Montez Sweat Trending in the Right Direction After Performance Against Saints
Prior to the bye week, Bears fans were getting fed up with Sweat's lack of production. The 29-year-old was given a four-year $98 million contract extension in 2023 right after he was acquired. While he lived up to expectations in the second half of the 2023 season, he had a bad 2024.
In 2024, Sweat had only six sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 49 QB pressures according to Pro Football Focus. Moreover, he earned a pass rush grade of 67.6, a run defense grade of 65.5, and an overall grade of 65.7.
The veteran was off to a worse start than that in 2025. Thankfully, he has turned it around over the past two weeks, with Sunday being his best performance. On Sunday, Sweat tallied one sack, three tackles for loss and three quarterback pressures. That earned him a pass rush grade of 67.4, a run defense grade of 80.0, and an overall grade of 65.9.
Sweat's pass rush grade was his third-best of the season, while his run defense grade was his second-best, and it's great to see a complete game from him that put it all together. Despite the fact that most still want to see more out of Sweat, the past two weeks have been a positive sign.
Fans are at least seeing the 29-year-old flash on screen and make plays. That is something that couldn't be said in the first four weeks of the year.
Nevertheless, the veteran has to continue to string together performances like these to justify his contract. If he fails to do so, the Bears' coaching staff could move on from him next offseason since they aren't the group that brought him in.