Bears DE Montez Sweat Receives Two-Game PED Suspension

Sweat, who is playing on the four-year, $98MM extension he signed in 2023, will not receive pay over the next couple of weeks. After sitting out games against the Falcons and Patriots, he will be eligible to return for Chicago’s Week 7 trip to Seattle.

To replace Sweat, the Bears are expected to activate defensive end Shemar Turner from the reserve/PUP list this week, according to Biggs. Turner, who tore his ACL last October, returned to practice on Sept. 23. The Bears have until Wednesday to activate him.

Sweat has racked up 23.5 sacks in 47 games with the Bears since they acquired him from the Commanders before the 2023 trade deadline. The 6-foot-6, 270-pounder played the second full season of his career last year and led the Bears in pressures (54), quarterback hits (18) and sacks (10).

Sweat’s contributions helped the Bears to 11 wins and an NFC North title in 2025, but he has not gotten come out of the gates as quickly this year. The eighth-year veteran notched 13 pressures, four QB hits and two sacks over the Bears’ first five games. After ranking 18th in the league in pressures last year, he is down to 42nd this season. In terms of overall performance, Sweat is Pro Football Focus’ 81st-ranked edge defender out of 106 qualifiers.

The Bears, who fell to 3-2 in a 31-7 loss to the division-rival Packers on Sunday, will try to bounce back without Sweat in Atlanta in Week 6. The onus will be on Turner (assuming the Bears activate him), Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo, among others, to help fill Sweat’s void. Booker (four) and Odeyingbo (three) are the team’s sack leaders. Sweat is the only other Bear with multiple sacks.