Montez

Sweat

Sweat missed Wednesday’s practice but returned on Thursday and was then upgraded to a full session before being listed as questionable. We fully expect him to play through the injury on Sunday. Sweat has 3.5 sacks, five TFLS, and a forced fumble this year.

Sweat dealt with an ankle injury in October before suffering a shin injury a few weeks later. Although the shin injury is now behind him, the team now lists him with an ankle issue. It is unclear as to whether this is a new injury or a continuation of the old one though.

Kyler Gordon, who missed Week 9 with a hamstring issue, was also limited. Sweat bookended last week’s three practices with DNPs and was eventually made inactive on Sunday. A return to practice is a step in the right direction but doesn’t guarantee his availability for Week 10. The Bears were down multiple key defenders versus the Cardinals on Sunday and got rocked, giving up 29 points. It’s the first time Chicago has allowed more than 21 points in a game this season. Drake Maye’s fantasy outlook would receive a notable boost if Sweat or Gordon can’t play this week.

Sweat’s absence is significant for a Bears defense tasked with containing the highly mobile Kyler Murray. The secondary is also worryingly thin. S Jaquan Brisker, slot CB Kyler Gordon, DL Byron Cowart, RB Khalil Herbert, OL Kiran Amegadjie and OL Braxton Jones are also inactive for this one. Starting CB Tyrique Stevenson has also been demoted following his unfortunate Week 8 antics. He will not start this week.

Sweat missed Wednesday’s practice with the shin issue. He was upgraded to a limited session on Thursday but then returned to a DNP to close the week. That puts him on the wrong side of questionable heading into the weekend. Losing Sweat, who has 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble this year, would be a notable blow to Chicago’s top-notch pass-rush.

The Bears held a walkthrough so Sweat’s status is only an estimation. We will learn more on Thursday’s injury report. Defensive backs Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon, both of whom missed Week 8, were also held out of practice. A usually ironclad Bears defense could be down multiple starters for their Week 9 matchup with Arizona, giving Kyler Murray an easier matchup as he attempts to extend the Cardinals’ win streak to three.

Sweat popped up on the injury report with the ankle issue on Wednesday but was a full participant in practice by Friday. Fellow defensive lineman Zacch Pickens and defensive back Terell Smith are out this week.

Sweat (11 pressures) is the only Bears defender with double-digit QB pressures this season. Thursday should clarify his Week 5 availability. The Bears will need him against a surprisingly scrappy Panthers offense, now helmed by Andy Dalton.

Sweat was upgraded to a full practice on Friday, so there doesn’t seem to be much risk of him missing Chicago’s 2024 opener. Acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, Sweat played a crucial role in the Bears’ turnaround on defense over the second half of the 2023 season. He also signed a four-year, $98 million extension shortly after the trade. Sweat will look to get familiar with titans quarterback Will Levis on Sunday.

Johnson’s toe injury could be problematic if it limits his availability on Sunday. The Bears are three-deep at running back, which already puts the second-year pro in a precarious position. If Johnson is good to go, he should have access to some sort of passing-down role. EDGE Montez Sweat was also limited by a toe injury though his role is not at all in jeopardy as the Bears’ top pass rusher.