Montez Sweat (Photo: Peter van den Berg , 247Sports)
LAKE FOREST, Ill., — Among the struggles for the Chicago Bears in the 2024 season was a lack of getting to opposing quarterbacks for sacks from their pass rushers, specifically Montez Sweat. With the Bears paying a hefty price to keep Sweat on their roster, they needed more production from their lead pass rusher.
Sweat finished last season with just 5.5 sacks and 12 QB hits, but was dealing with an injury that hampered him a bit. He did play in 16 of the Bears' 17 games but was bothered by a shin and ankle injury, leading to some struggles.
While he's not dwelling on it, the injuries certainly were a factor for him a year ago.
"I mean I don't really dwell on it too much. Football is a game where it's not if you're going to get hurt but when," Sweat said. "So you've got to deal with those things and just move forward. I'm sure that won't be my last injury. So I'm just going to be ready for that when it presents itself again."
In what will be his second full season with the Bears after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2023, Sweat will work with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, a coach with a strong reputation around the league for wanting his players to play physical.
Sweat described Allen as a 'complex' individual so far in his short time knowing him.
"Oh yeah, he's a very complex individual," Sweat said. "He has a lot of fronts and schemes and things that he can attack the offense with. So yeah, he's a great guy, smart."
Being complex is a good thing for the defensive coordinator, as the Bears' defense will give opposing offenses different looks throughout the season. Sweat touched on that as well when he met the media.
"Well, I mean, I'm trying to learn a new defense right now so it presents its challenges—different fronts, different coverages, and things like that," Sweat said. "It's just more than I heard to learn in the past I would say. So he's definitely a little more complex than the DCs I had in the past."
Allen has the personnel he wants in terms of being able to disguise things and move players around. And while he will have an impact on this defense, the Bears are going to need Sweat to return to form and get to opposing quarterbacks. He's planning on using that disappointing 2024 campaign as motivation.
"You definitely use it as motivation," Sweat said. "Knowing that you didn't have as good of a year as you wanted to or could have, so it's in the back of my mind, but I'm sincerely just moving forward, working on what's next."
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