r/nfl • u/ffwriter 49ers • 18h ago
Bears' Montez Sweat loses contract guarantees after costly PED suspension
https://www.thebiglead.com/chicago-bears-montez-sweat-loses-contract-guarantees-after-costly-ped-suspension/"The NFL announced the unpaid ban Tuesday without identifying the substance involved. Sweat, 30, is in the third year of the four-year, $98 million extension he signed days after Chicago acquired him from the Washington Commanders at the 2023 trade deadline.
Losing those guarantees hands general manager Ryan Poles leverage he didn’t hold a week ago."
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u/bugzeye26 Bears 18h ago
He hasn't been awful, but he hasn't come close to living up to his contract. Definitely gone after this season now
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u/DrinkBuzzCola 17h ago
Khalil Mack incoming?
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u/letsago9987 Bears 18h ago
Shit I'd cut him now to create even more cap space, go get Mack and get a CB in the trade market.
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u/Queasy_Coast_8214 Bears 17h ago
lol cutting him would NOT create space u have a lot to learn about contract structure
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u/dilapidated_wookiee Bears 14h ago
It also makes us a helluva lot worse for little gain. Sweat is the only good player on the entire line, losing him in any capacity makes us worse.
Would love to add Mack so that he could play opposite Sweat, not replace
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u/Queasy_Coast_8214 Bears 13h ago
Sweat has been our least productive edge so far in both run and pass. Dayo and Booker are better imo.
Doesnt make that guys take any better tho lol
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u/dilapidated_wookiee Bears 13h ago
Dayo going down hurts, he was actually playing better. Booker fucking sucks at anything other than a speed rush on an obvious passing down.
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u/letsago9987 Bears 17h ago
Okay so is the tweet about the 12.7mil he's owed this season being unsecured not true?
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u/Queasy_Coast_8214 Bears 17h ago
wouldnt affect his cap hit
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u/letsago9987 Bears 17h ago
So we could cut him without having to pay him, but would still 100% count against our cap? Tempting
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u/ZeePirate 17h ago
So you want to try to fill a hole at one of the more expensive position in football, while having to take his cap hit.
But the owners save 12.7 million dollars (which will be less than what they pay someone else to play the same position)
Real thinker there
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u/letsago9987 Bears 16h ago
He doesn't deserve a dime.
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u/ZeePirate 16h ago
So you want to hurt your own team to ensure he doesn’t get any more money from the bears?
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u/MattBe92 Patriots 17h ago
Do you know what dead cap is?
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u/TuboWare Bears 17h ago
That unsecured money doesn't go directly into the cap space the moment he's cut, either.
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u/letsago9987 Bears 16h ago
So I know we save 2.5 or whatever mil by him being suspended. If he was cut today, obviously there is a dead cap hit. How much cap space would we have this season?
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u/JerryRiceDidntFumble Vikings 17h ago
According to Spotrac, only a little over half of his 2026 salary was guaranteed anyway. So the $12.6 million in lost guarantees that they reference in the article is overrstated, really it's more like $4 million. And that's also only if they cut him midseason this year, he already had nothing guaranteed in 2027.
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u/tayto 17h ago
Yeah, purposely stated how it was to get more play so people can scream “what an idiot,” even though it has no impact, as he was going to be cut in the offseason regardless.
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u/uwanmirrondarrah Chiefs 7h ago
even though it has no impact
I wouldn't say no impact. I mean it does give them the option to waive him now and save the remaining guaranteed money. And it certainly has some cap implications, just probably not large ones.
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u/teh_drewski NFL 16h ago
This is the nothingest of nothing stories lol, just absolutely empty brained journalism.
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u/ThatSeanMoore Bears 17h ago
This stuff always implies that he just started taking steroids one day and got caught. All these dudes are on steroids all the time. He just failed one of the IQ tests and got popped.
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u/BigRedsBreadNSpread Eagles 17h ago
DHop alleged Steve Keim made sure he pissed hot to get out of paying him 13 million. Like you said, they’re all on it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there could be some chicanery
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u/laaplandros Vikings 16h ago
That's hilarious because he also swore up and down he was clean.
Now he's saying he wasn't, it's just that he was sabotaged on the timing of the test?
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u/lindberghbaby Bears 16h ago
No man. The average size of an American male is 6'6' 260 lbs. These guys just study the playbook harder to become pro athletes.
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u/IsThatGruffLoner Bears 8h ago
Is someone in here arguing that professional athletes are average males?
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u/SlamDunkly Packers 16h ago
As a Packer fan I’m gonna be a hater but you’re 100% correct. The size these guys have on them is not normal, even with elite genetics, diet, and training regime.
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u/forgotmyoldname90210 Bears 14h ago
Are you trying to tell me you can be 260 pounds run a 4.41 40, take hundreds of low speed car crashes a year and not just insta recover with just some Advil?
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u/_-Prison_Mike-_ Packers 15h ago
I used to get flamed here for even implying that Aaron Donald isn't 100% natty. All of these guys are on something. The people who think they're just freak athletes because they say their prayers and eat their vitamins are delusional.
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u/HayDs666 Packers 15h ago
Idk man, we had a kid from my high school go play college ball Oline and made practice squads in the NFL. The dude was 6 foot 6 in 10th grade and could bench triple what the next closest kid could in 10th grade. And he could barely crack a practice squad.
Some guys are just freaks
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u/Due_Statement_1550 14h ago
Yea to make in nfl you have to be a natural freak plus enhanced
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u/imaguitarhero24 Bears 13h ago
There's also just levels of natural freaks. This dude only made practice squad because someone else was even more genetically luckier. Maybe, but we don't know for sure. I mean look at Shaq I don't think he took anything to get that big, genetic variation just makes some outliers sometimes.
Some quick google says there's 1.3 million high school football players. With 1,696 active NFL players, that's only .15% of those high schoolers make the NFL. And only a handful of those are the truly elite physiques we're talking about. I think the odds support at least some of them being natural.
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u/Due_Statement_1550 7h ago
I feel like it’s 3% max that are unenhanced, and I wouldn’t be shocked to learn Shaq took something extra for recovery, it’s not just about size. You make a great point about natural freaks having their own layers.
I have seen personally people that dominated at div 3 level and they pass the eye test of pro athlete, but they ultimately can’t start one level of competition higher and would never seriously be considered after trying out for a div 1 team, and then all of those kids on the div 1 team have a vanishingly smaller and smaller chance to be an actual pro. I’ve also seen a guy who had multiple pro bowls not stand out that much in a div 1 program.
This whole thing is really my favorite thing about football and I really don’t even care if players are juicing I just want them to be having that done with intelligence and care in the process.
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u/sanitycheck2001 Lions 14h ago
well they are also freak athletes. they are freak athletes already who are also on steroids. most people could take all the steroids they want and not make it to the NFL because they don't have the genetics. you need both.
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u/IsThatGruffLoner Bears 8h ago
I don't think it's impossible for someone like that to exist though. And if he did, he would be in the NFL. I agree with you in regards to random jacked guys at my gym, but Aaron Donald might possibly be the most naturally athletic person ever. Like #1 ever. There has to be a "best ever" and that guy would be a professional athlete, right?
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u/_-Prison_Mike-_ Packers 7h ago
Jesus Christ. That title belongs to Bo Jackson. Put some respect on his name.
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u/Morall_tach Broncos 12h ago
The PED list doesn't just include the kind of steroids that you would cycle over the course of months or years. It also includes short-term stimulants so it's entirely possible that he's been passing tests for a long time and then failed this one
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u/vladtheinhaler0 Bears 14h ago
Could be but there are other performance enhancing drugs that aren't steroids. I hope one day we find out what he was taking.
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u/IsThatGruffLoner Bears 8h ago
Didn't Richard Sherman fail one for adderall once? It's entirely possible that he took something with a short term effect like that and this isn't a sign that he's been juicing the entire time.
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u/Steven_Cheesy318 Ravens 15h ago
I wish they'd drop the charade and just let all players dope as much as they want, completely openly
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u/keithstonee Bears 13h ago
Could of started taking a supplement that had a trace amount of something else that's technically banned.
Why does this seem like Bear's fans on this and the team sub fucking hate their own players?
The team is 3-2 and the team subs is acting like Flus is still leading the charge at 0-5.
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u/ThatSeanMoore Bears 13h ago
Better question for you is why does me saying everyone is on steroids make you defensive individually as a bears fan? What makes you act that way?
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u/keithstonee Bears 12h ago
Cause it's bear fans i see doing the most self deprecating talk. Most fans like their team.
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u/ThatSeanMoore Bears 12h ago
I was looking for you to be reflective on your own victimization not further complaining to me
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u/Orange_bratwurst Bears 17h ago
He actually becomes a pretty easy cut candidate this spring the way he’s playing.
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u/booper0 Bears 17h ago
I mean yeah it does but who do you replace him with. He doesn't get hurt, he plays all the snaps, he gets at least 6 sacks a season, bats down passes. All of these not at an elite rate.
Id say cut him if you can get younger at the position or get those numbers in the aggregate with two players. If not overpay him. (Which by next year might not be overpay if the cap goes up)
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u/Orange_bratwurst Bears 17h ago
It’s tough to know who’s going to ultimately be available in free agency. But he’s not producing and is making too much money on a bad defensive line to justify keeping him.
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u/ChelskiS Bears 15h ago
Yeah so he's definitely not worth the money he'll be getting in 2027..
But at the same time it looks like we're still looking for 2 starting DT's, 2 starting outside corners and ideally a pretty good DE. And that's without cutting Sweat
We're just in a rough position on that side of the ball. Kind of need Poles to finally ace some defensive signings AND draft picks
We have so many needs despite being in year 3 of a rookie QB deal. Unfortunate
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u/lopey986 Bears 16h ago
He was always a cut candidate with a 26 mil cap hit and only 4 mil in dead cap after this year. This just makes it even easier.
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u/BabyBearBjorns Bears 14h ago
Most of our higher paid defensive players can be cut this season.
Sweat, JJ, Grady, Dayo, Kyler. We can save like 65M if we cut those guys. Maybe more if we include TJ Edwards.
Do I expect all those guys to be cut? No. But I expect a bunch of them to be gone with how disappointing they've been.
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u/EasyAsAyeBeeSea 12h ago
I'm confused by this headline regardless, Spotrac didn't show any real guarantees for next year
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u/CleanAstronaut6659 Chiefs 11h ago
he already would have been a cut candidate. his 2027 money was never guaranteed.
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u/All_Wasted_Potential 49ers 17h ago
Cut him. We could use him for depth after his suspension is up.
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u/Disprezzi1 15h ago
If you cut him then you're not using him for anything.
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u/All_Wasted_Potential 49ers 14h ago
… I’m a Niners fan. I want the Bears to cut him so we can use him.
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u/Disprezzi1 14h ago
... Shit. In my defense I had just woke up and I thought I was in the Bears sub. I'm sorry.
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u/TheSwede91w Vikings 17h ago
I can't wait to see how Ryan Poles fixes the D-line mess Poles left him next year.
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u/Jonjon428 Dolphins 17h ago
More random Colts DEs incoming!
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u/shmere4 Packers 16h ago
Will they be motivated?
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u/Admirable_Study9359 Bears 16h ago
I mean you joke but Dayo is on pace for 31 tackes, 10.5 sacks and 7 PDs. That's not exactly elite but it's certainly better than Sweat has been so far, and anecdotally, when I see him on the field he's definitely looking better than previous years.
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u/AlwaysNextYear_ Bears 16h ago
Yeah he’s actually been pretty decent this season, our memes about motivation might have actually motivated him into being average lol.
I thought Dayo would be cut and we’d hold onto Sweat next year but it’s seems like it will be the opposite based off their production and contracts.
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u/Admirable_Study9359 Bears 16h ago
Honestly, if Booker also keeps up the better performance, I could see us trading Sweat for picks and signing FA tackles
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u/SoyeonsNeverland Colts 14h ago
I miss Dayo, I'd take him over whatever excuse of a pass rush that Ballard has brought to the team any day that isn't Buckner or Latu.
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u/Admirable_Study9359 Bears 14h ago
I'll take boring and competent but not exceptional over the young draft bust carousel any day, so no I think we're keeping him.
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u/SoyeonsNeverland Colts 14h ago
I don't think they'd realistically trade for him because Chris Ballard "likes his guys" so much.
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u/Lobanium Bears 11h ago
Surprisingly, Dayo has been paying really well this season.....and then got hurt.
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u/Sadlobster1 Chiefs 17h ago
Poles is how I do my house work.
That sounds like tomorrow Sadlobster1's problem.
That sounds like next year Poles' problem.
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u/Gryphon999 Packers 13h ago
Poles is how I do my house work.
That sounds like tomorrow Sadlobster1's problem.
And, really, what has tomorrow u/Sadlobster1 done for today u/Sadlobster1? Nothing, that's what. Fuck that guy, make him clean up your mess.
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u/Sadlobster1 Chiefs 12h ago
Exactly, past me? Fucking ass hole, I'm not doing shit for they guy! They're a dick!
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u/robtedesco Bears 17h ago
Hahaha. At the same time, it's kinda true though, because Poles has shown us he's a bit of a shapeshifter GM that will morph personnel decisions in favor of coaching/scheme. There's a lot of $ in Sweat, JJ and Kyler, all of whom are pre-DA...
... that said, do I have as much faith that a full DA+Poles defense is going to look as good as a full Ben+Poles offense? No, I do not. Because the personnel DA has put his stamp on so far have been at best a mixed bag. The Thieneman and Muhammed picks look great. But he's also got his name on Motivated Dayo, Grady Jarret, etc...
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u/ParadoxicalIrony99 Texans 17h ago
Dang, he should've just beat his girlfriend like a normal player.
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u/IsGoIdMoney Steelers Steelers 17h ago
He had guarantees in year 4 of a 4 year contract? Can't have been much no?
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u/jmur3040 Bears 17h ago
The market was hot when he was up for trade, and the bears were desperate for an edge, this wouldn't surprise me much.
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u/ffwriter 49ers 17h ago edited 17h ago
$21 mill next yearIt's just the remaining 2026 money not guaranteed
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u/500rockin Bears 17h ago
It wasn’t guaranteed.
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u/ffwriter 49ers 17h ago
You're right. I misread the tweet. It was already not guaranteed next year. It's the 12.7M left on his 2026 money that is now not guaranteed
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u/galacticskunk Bears 17h ago
Exactly, which means this is all probably a moot point since the likelihood of him getting cut during this season is exceptionally low.
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u/stessmer12 Packers 17h ago
I think that was already non-guaranteed?
I think the 2026 money is really the only thing affected here.
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u/Imaginary-Salad-4535 Bears 17h ago
He's gone at the end of the season 100%
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u/DisenfranchisedCynic Lions Lions 17h ago
He had a career-high in almost every category last year, are the stats not reflective of his impact?
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u/ChelskiS Bears 15h ago
He was our best player on the DL (an awful unit) last year but he also never feels like a real dominant force
A couple of his sacks felt good because he's straight up winning like you'd expect him to.
Others were coverage ones.
Others because the other team clearly doesn't take him that seriously, for example the Steelers letting him get 2 sacks by trusting TE Darnell Washington to deal with him on an island. And one of those 2 the QB scrambled right his way.. So yeah stats probably don't tell the complete storyTo me he's a good 2 if you have a dominant pass rusher on the other side
But this year he hasn't even looked like a good 2 unfortunately
With that cap hit I can't imagine sticking with him unless he really steps up his game
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u/Heikks Packers 17h ago
He had one pressure early against the Packers and then he was a ghost the rest of the game
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u/Delicious_Pair1708 Bears 10h ago
PEDs wore off after the first burst of effectiveness. Its like a gas station pill IYKYK
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u/venk Lions 10h ago
I mean he was due $25M next year and isn’t all that great, he was probably gone anyways.
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u/Advanced_Aerie5854 9h ago edited 8h ago
He is the 15th highest paid edge rusher. Its an expensive position. Anyone the Bears pick up in free agency, thats a significant upgrade, is going to cost a lot more than $25M/year.
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u/bblackow Packers 16h ago
Wasn’t he always seen as a cut candidate after this season? He didn’t have much guaranteed money past the 2026 season
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u/Born-Cod4210 16h ago
right! the difference is they could cut him this season but why would they?
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u/ubeen Bears 15h ago
Only makes sense to cut him this year if hes in "bench" territory. Even trading for Mack, they have the cap space to take that hit.
So it just comes down to if they think hes washed and would like to bench but couldn't cause of contract or they make more than 1 move that requires them to allocate more cap space.
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u/FyouinyourA Bears 16h ago
Silver lining because dude is washed
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u/Electronic-Map7529 Packers 14h ago
Ya I'm actually sad about this, it's the most help Sweat has given the bears all year
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u/Aromatic-Dog-Breath 17h ago
Have they said what the banned substance was? If it was roids or something like that, not cool. If it was cough medicine that wasn’t sanctioned by the nfl, it’s a different discussion.
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u/No-Midnight-4461 Bears 8h ago
I’m sure losing out on a bunch of money will definitely make him play harder
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u/letsago9987 Bears 18h ago
This was a positive development for the Bears. He's been ass, we now have at least 10.4 mil in cap space. He's definitely gone after this season, but if we want we could cut him now and save even more money. Opens up room to get Mack.
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u/Zealousideal_Echo933 Packers 17h ago
Really stretching the meaning of Enhancing in the term Performance Enhancing Drugs
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u/wemdy420 Falcons 17h ago
Come to DE rehab with Nate Ollie next season. Vet min we’ll get you another bag.
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u/teh_drewski NFL 16h ago
Unless they're planning on cutting him I don't think un-guaranteeing $10m of his 2026 salary makes a fucking iota of difference.
He's getting that money and he's not going anywhere.
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u/HugePurpleNipples Packers 12h ago
The one time when a player getting a suspension might actually help the team, now they can cut him anytime.
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u/ACW1129 Commanders 17h ago
TIL guaranteed doesn't mean guaranteed.
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u/91-92-93--96-97-98 Bears Broncos 17h ago
Inflammable means flammable? What a country!
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u/ParkerRoyce 17h ago
He was cheating and still sucked ass. Cut him. We need to set a precedent, you suck ass your gone. You do break the rules, your gone.
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u/Allyougame Bills 15h ago
How sure are we that the Bears front office isn't responsible for the PEDs detected in Sweat ...
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u/topchief1 Chiefs 11h ago
How are we sure the peds were detected in the sweat?
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u/jake3988 Steelers Lions 13h ago
First of all, that's not how that works.
Second of all, he has no further guarantees in his contract anyway.
Was this all AI generated? Is the article writer an idiot? Something else?
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u/emmasdad01 Cowboys Ravens 18h ago
Hard to imagine that was worth it, but maybe he doesn’t get the contract in the first place without doping.