Chicago Bears: Montez Sweat happy for trade, rips Commanders toxic culture

Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat was not happy when he first learned about the trade that brought him to town. However, he is now ecstatic about being on a team on the rise and he ripped the Washington Commanders’ toxic losing culture.

Chicago Bears fans are used to hearing current and former players talk about the losing culture at Halas Hall. Things have not been very good for the better part of the last three decades. Sure, there were some good seasons here and there. However, those good times were too few and far between.

It is nice, then, to hear all the positives coming out of Chicago Bears Nation. More former legends are coming around and talking up the new generation. That new generation does not know about the losing. These players want to forge their trail and in the process make the franchise relevant again.

We are seeing that happen with defensive end Montez Sweat. Sweat arrived in Chicago as a result of a mid-season trade with the Washington Commanders. The Chicago Bears found a star pass rusher who would help transform its attack on opposing quarterbacks.

Sweat was not happy with the trade, however. He was downright angry when he first learned about the trade.

I was shocked. In disbelief…I was very emotional. I was angry and probably said some things I wanted to take back. Maybe.

Things have changed since the trade, however. The Chicago Bears’ defense started to jell with Sweat. The team as a whole started winning games. In the nine games he played in Chicago, he recorded six sacks, the most on the team. The Bears also started winning.

Sure, the Bears went just 5-4. However, considering where they came from in 2022, a season in which they lost 14 games, winning five in nine games was impressive. Now, after General Manager Ryan Poles overhauled the offense and tweaked the defense, things are looking up for the team.

Sweat is now ecstatic about the trade. He sees now how the toxic environment in Washington was bringing him and other star players down.

It was a toxic, heavy toll, just losing and people around you being kind of OK with losing. It could sometimes rub off on you. You’ve gotta stay hungry and know that you want to win… I definitely made a transition to a better spot for me… You could definitely say it worked out better for me.

See, those are words players have said after they left the Chicago Bears. Now players are saying it while playing with the Chicago Bears. This has been a tremendous turnaround. The Bears are the team on the rise. There are now expectations of a playoff run. Sure, many won’t believe it until it happens. For many, though, they feel a playoff spot is realistic.

While the team on the whole would be happy with any type of playoff position, be it the NFC North Division or a Wild Card, the Chicago Bears defense with Sweat has higher aspirations. For most of the 2023 season, it was a tough unit that, after a horrific start, was stingy.

The Chicago Bears led the NFL in interceptions and ranked fifth in total turnovers. Additionally, they led the league in rushing defense. That was a huge jump from the 31st-ranked unit in 2022.

In 2024, the defense wants to get off to a good start. As mentioned before, the defense started horribly. In the first four games, the Chicago Bears allowed 30+ points three times. One of those times was over 40 points. They gave up an average of 34.25 points per game.

Over the next 13 games, the defense gave up just 18.6 points per game. With a decent offense, the team can win a lot of games. With the overhaul of the offense, Poles tried to ensure that it was much more than just decent.

With Sweat leading the way, the Chicago Bears defense hopes to be an elite unit that brings back the Monsters of the Midway and a new era of winning football to the city. He feels great about that.