Montez Sweat’s return from two-game suspension gives him more to prove as the Bears approach a pivotal trade deadline decision

Chicago Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat will return on Monday night following a two-game suspension and will have something to prove with the NFL trade deadline looming.

Kole Noble — Chicago Bears News Writer

Oct 28, 2026 12:15 PM EDT

The Chicago Bears have been in the middle of a lot of trade drama with the NFL Trade Deadline coming up and many are expecting the Bears to swing for help on the defensive side of the ball, whether that’s on the defensive line or at cornerback.

Going into Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Bears will at least have one boost back on the defensive line with edge rusher Montez Sweat coming back after serving his two-game suspension.

It’ll be a critical game for Sweat to show that he can be a consistent threat off the edge in his return. And if he fails to do so, it would only encourage the Bears even more to be aggressive in pursuing another option on the trade market.

Montez Sweat is facing a critical game in his return from his two-game suspension

It’s fitting that Sweat first arrived to Chicago via a big mid-season trade back in 2024. The Bears traded a second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for Sweat with the idea that he could be a game-changing presence off the edge. At first, he was. Over the last season and a half, we haven’t seen that level of play consistently enough to warrant what the Bears have invested in him.

Now you add in the two-game suspension Sweat had to serve for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and it’s easy to see how Sweat is on rocky ground in Chicago. However, as we learned with Kyler Gordon two games ago, all it takes is playing at a high level again to earn some good graces back from the coaching staff and the fans.

“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,” Sweat said on Tuesday after speaking with reporters for the first time since his suspension.

Monday night will serve as a pivotal game for Sweat. If he can go out and prove himself to be a dominating threat off the edge, the Bears will be grateful to have him back and it could cause the team to rethink their needs ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

“I take everything that comes with it,” Sweat said. “The only thing I can do now is just look forward and continue to play.”

The real question is what happens if Sweat’s invisible play he showed during the first five games continues in his return to the lineup?

At this point, Sweat isn’t just playing to show the Bears they already have a top threat off the edge, he’s also playing to prove he belongs in Chicago after the 2026 season. He needs a statement-like game on Monday.