Chicago Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat had a strong 2025 campaign with 10 sacks, which was tied for No. 15 on the NFL’s sack list last season. It prompted head coach Ben Johnson to declare that Sweat actually had the best season of his seven-year career.
However, in ESPN’s projected rankings of the top 50 sack leaders for the 2026 season, Sweat is projected to be No. 38 on the list with around six sacks, a decrease by four sacks from last year.
Predicting a regression in Sweat’s numbers is not surprising given the current state of Chicago’s defensive line. They traded Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons, who was second on the Bears in sacks last year with six, although he was pretty bad against the run which was probably a factor in this trade.
This puts Sweat in a similar position to 2024, when recorded 5.5 sacks and was the primary pass rusher without a clear No. 2. Dayo Odeyingbo is the closest player Chicago has to a second pass rusher, but he has been utilized on the interior defensive line more, particularly in the third down packages. The Bears’ next pass rusher is Austin Booker, who has a total of six sacks in his two years in the NFL.
Overall, this is a realistic expectation for Sweat this season unless Chicago makes a move for another pass rusher to play opposite of Sweat who made the Pro Bowl back in 2023. Among the edge players available in free agency are Leonard Floyd, who the Bears drafted in the top 10 back in 2016, as well as five-time Pro-Bowler Joey Bosa, who had a solid year with the Buffalo Bills last season including five forced fumbles.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: ESPN predicts Bears EDGE Montez Sweat will regress in 2026
