Bears' Montez Sweat Calls Failed Test 'Accidental' as He Returns From Two-Game Suspension
Chicago's highest-paid defender spoke for the first time since his PED suspension, which also voided the rest of his 2026 salary and his 2027 guarantees
Bears defensive end Montez Sweat said Tuesday that he took a banned substance unintentionally, his first comments since the NFL suspended him two games under its performance-enhancing substances policy, ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported.
"It definitely was accidental. It was a surprise. But you take a lick on the chin and keep moving forward."
"It's definitely something I got to live with for my career. I never want to cheat the game, and I would never do it intentionally, but what happened, happened and I'm moving forward."
— Montez Sweat
Sweat called the time away "devastating." He declined to say what led to the failed test or when it happened, but said the Bears' nutrition and training staffs did nothing wrong. He didn't consider an appeal and took full responsibility, and he said it was tough to face coach Ben Johnson after learning of the suspension.
The bigger cost is financial. Sweat forfeited $2.3 million in base salary for the two games, and per Cronin, the remaining $12.7 million he's owed this season and all of his future guarantees, including $21 million in 2027, were voided. That's a major shift for Chicago's highest-paid defender, who signed a four-year, $98 million deal after the 2023 trade from Washington. It gives the Bears far more flexibility with his contract going forward.
Chicago won both games without him, beating the Falcons and Patriots. Sweat was reinstated Oct. 23 and will be back for Week 8 against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football on Nov. 2. He has two sacks, seven tackles and two tackles for loss this season after posting 10 sacks in 2025, a year Johnson called the best of Sweat's career.