Bears' Montez Sweat jokingly claps back at Packers pass rusher in online exchange
Montez Sweat has been a great help for the Chicago Bears since arriving via midseason trade in 2023 and extending with them in the long term. With the pass rusher on the roster, the team improved from 3-14 to 7-10, falling just short of the playoffs.
But Sweat skipped a workout this week, which put him in the crosshairs of Green Bay Packers defensive end Preston Smith. Smith took a jab at Sweat for his supposed absence, but the one-time Pro Bowler had a comeback.
While the Packers and Bears are bitter NFC North rivals, Sweat and Smith seem to be friends. The two have common ties as they came from the same high school in Georgia (Stephenson). Both also went to Mississippi State and played for Washington before coming to their current teams.
And while the Packers have beaten the Bears 10 straight times as Sweat alluded to in his tweet, this was all just a playful exchange online.
Montez Sweat will begin his first full training camp with the Bears on July 19, although he has already done OTAs with them. Earlier this month, he said of their winning potential:
“It’s definitely exciting. We really can’t get caught up in what’s on paper. Football is played on the field and you gotta go out there and execute the X’s and O’s. You can’t get caught up in any of that stuff that’s going on outside of here. Just stick to what we know, that’s playing football.”
Columnist explains why Bears must keep Montez Sweat healthy
Injuries are a part of the NFL, but some may prove more costly than others. And for Montez Sweat and the Bears, an injury may prove very costly, especially given the hype that Caleb Williams and the offense have been receiving lately.
USA Today's Vincent Parise expounds on the reason why:
"Their pass-rushing depth isn’t great behind Sweat, where DeMarcus Walker and rookie Austin Booker are the key names on the roster. Losing him would be a brutal blow for their postseason aspirations."
Montez Sweat played full-17 game seasons in 2022 and 2023 after missing seven to injury in 2021.
Despite playing just nine games for Chicago last season, Sweat recorded 6.0 sacks, which led the team. He also had 14 quarterback hits, which was third on the team, along with 25 combined tackles.