Montez Sweat returns to Bears after having to miss 2 games for failed drug test: ‘It was devastating’
· Yahoo Sports
CHICAGO — The failed drug test that led to a two-game suspension under the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy was “accidental,” Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat said Tuesday at Halas Hall.
Sweat returned to the practice field as the team began preparations for Monday night’s matchup with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Speaking with reporters for the first time since his suspension, Sweat took full responsibility for the failed drug test.
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“It was nothing with the nutritional staff here or the training staff here,” Sweat said. “It was things I was doing on my own. Yeah, take that on the chin and move forward.”
Sweat also apologized to his teammates and to Bears fans.
“It’s definitely something I’ve got to live with (the rest of) my career,” Sweat said. “I never want to cheat the game and I would never do it intentionally, but what happened happened and I’m moving forward.”
While the league did not disclose which drug Sweat tested positive for, the NFLPA lays out the different levels of suspensions for first-time violations:
— Two games for diuretics or masking agents.
— Four games for anabolic steroids, stimulants or human growth hormone.
— Six games for test manipulation or tampering.
Sweat sat out the Oct. 18 win over the Atlanta Falcons and Thursday’s victory over the New England Patriots. The Bears totaled seven sacks in those two games, with cornerback Kyler Gordon providing four of them in his long-awaited return from a calf injury.
Without Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo, who’s on injured reserve, the Bears leaned on Austin Booker, James Lynch and Daniel Hardy at defensive end.
Coach Ben Johnson had little to say after news of Sweat’s suspension broke earlier this month.
“We want all of our guys available and playing in ballgames to help us win,” Johnson said Oct. 14. “That’s really what it is. Next man up, and we keep it moving.”
But the coach was highly complimentary of Sweat after their first season together last year, noting over the offseason that he felt Sweat had “the best year of his career” in 2025. Sweat led the Bears with 10 sacks last season, although he was off to a slower start in 2026.
Asked about his conversation with Johnson in the aftermath of the suspension, Sweat said it was “tough.”
“Nobody wants to go look someone in the eye after you’ve done something detrimental like that to the team, but those are things you have to do to move forward,” he said.
In five games before the suspension, Sweat totaled two sacks, four quarterback hits and seven tackles. Per NFL Pro, Sweat pressured the quarterback on 8.8% of his pass-rush snaps.
Sweat forfeited two game checks totaling more than $2.2 million. He has no more guaranteed money in the final year of his contract in 2027. It would cost the Bears only $4 million in dead salary-cap space if they were to move on from Sweat when the new league year begins March 11.
Sweat has a $2 million roster bonus due March 15 and carries a $25 million cap hit if he remains on the team in 2027.
“The only thing I can do now is just look forward and continue to play,” he said.
But before looking ahead to the future, the Bears have 10 games remaining this season and Sweat will remain an important part of their defense. He was playing roughly 70% of defensive snaps before the suspension.
“It was devastating,” he said of having to watch two games from home. “I’m just happy to be back in the building with my teammates. That’s what I missed the most, just being in the locker room around my guys.”
Transactions and injury updates
The Bears returned to practice after a long weekend off. They play the Seahawks on Monday, so they aren’t required to release an injury report until Thursday.
Running back Kyle Monangai and cornerbacks Malik Muhammad II and Tyrique Stevenson Sr. were not present during the portion of practice open to the media.
Muhammad injured a toe last week against the Patriots, while Stevenson played throughout Thursday’s game after sitting out the Week 6 game against the Falcons with a hip injury. Monangai hasn’t played since injuring a toe in a dominant effort in Week 4 against the New York Jets.
Linebackers T.J. Edwards (hamstring) and Jack Sanborn (concussion) were back on the practice field.
The Bears signed practice squad running back Zavier Scott to the active roster. Scott had reached his maximum of three game-day elevations from the practice squad. He has been a key contributor on special teams in recent games with Monangai sidelined.
In a corresponding move, the Bears released cornerback Nick McCloud.
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