Montez Sweat, the Chicago Bears' highest-paid defender, has been suspended two games by the NFL for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, sidelining him for matchups against Atlanta and New England. The suspension strips Sweat of roughly $2.3 million in unearned base salary and forces Chicago to reshuffle a defensive front that was already thin.
Roster Moves Fill the Gap
As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Sweat is eligible to return to the Bears on October 23, 2026 — one day after Chicago faces the Patriots on Thursday night. In a corresponding transaction announced the same day, the Chicago Bears placed Sweat on the Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner list and activated defensive lineman Shemar Turner off the Reserve/PUP list, where he had been recovering from injury, to fill the open roster spot.
The league does not disclose which specific substance triggered a positive test, but per ProFootballTalk, standard NFL policy imposes a two-game unpaid suspension for first-time violations involving stimulants, diuretics, or masking agents, while anabolic steroid violations carry a minimum six-game ban. The length of Sweat's suspension suggests the former rather than the latter, though the station's report notes the league keeps those specifics confidential.
A Costly Absence for Chicago's Top Earner
Sweat signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension within days of the Bears acquiring him via trade in 2023, and this season he carries a $25.08 million salary cap hit, according to the Sun-Times. Under that deal's $20.9 million base salary for 2026, Sweat forfeits approximately $2.3 million in total pay over his two-game absence, per NFL Trade Rumors.
Through five games this season, Sweat has recorded two sacks and seven tackles, a modest output compared to last year. Head coach Ben Johnson considered Sweat's 2025 campaign — in which he posted 10 sacks and led the Bears in that category — his best season yet, the Sun-Times reports. Underlying metrics compiled by CBS Sports show Sweat's 8.8% quarterback pressure rate through five games this season was lower than any of his full-season marks dating back to 2019, with a career-worst average time-to-sack of 7.18 seconds.
Defensive Line Already Stretched Thin
Chicago's defensive end group now faces its suspension-driven absence without much margin for error. Dayo Odeyingbo left the Bears' loss to the Packers with a quad injury, according to the Sun-Times, further depleting a rotation that had already leaned heavily on Sweat, who started every game and played 69 percent of Chicago's defensive snaps through five contests this season, per the same ProFootballTalk report.
Third-year edge rusher Austin Booker has emerged as the player likely to absorb a larger share of pass-rushing snaps. Booker recorded two sacks of Jordan Love late in the first half against Green Bay in Week 5, part of a four-sack stretch over Chicago's first five games, according to Bears Digest. The uptick came after Booker had publicly expressed frustration over his early-season playing time.
Replacing a Rare Turnover Threat
Beyond raw sack totals, Sweat's absence removes an unusual knack for forcing turnovers off pressure. During the 2025 season he forced six turnovers directly resulting from quarterback pressures — a career high that ranked second among all NFL defenders, according to Next Gen Stats data cited by CBS Sports.
Sweat's history with both organizations that have employed him adds a layer of historical significance. The Bears traded a second-round pick to the Commanders for Sweat in 2023, and following that midseason trade, he became the first player in NFL history to finish as the single-season sack leader for two different franchises in the same calendar year, according to NFL.com. Across 113 career regular-season games through Week 5 of this season, Sweat has started every game he has played in, amassing 59.0 career sacks and 15 forced fumbles over eight NFL seasons, per Pro-Football-Reference; CBS Sports notes he has missed one game since arriving in Chicago.
