Chicago Bears star Montez Sweat has been given a two-game suspension by the NFL for violating the league’s drug policy.
The defensive lineman will miss Sunday’s trip to Atlanta to take on the Falcons then a Week 7 Thursday Night Football home game against the New England Patriots before being eligible for reinstatement Friday, October 23.
Sweat is in the final year of a four-year, $98 million deal with the Bears. He has a $20.9 million base salary this year, per Spotrac, meaning his two-week suspension without pay would equate to a loss of around $2.32 million.
The 30-year-old joined the Bears from the Washington Commanders in 2023 but has had a tough season so far, registering just two solo tackles and two sacks this season.
His head coach, Ben Johnson, called 2025 the ‘best year’ of his career in the NFL so far, with high expectations for him to play a big role this year.
‘I loved him during the season — but when you watch the self-scout after the year, I think this was a guy who played at a very high level,’ Johnson said in June. ‘I talked to him yesterday about, hey, I would argue it was the best year of his career.
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Montez Sweat has been given a two-game NFL suspension
Sweat’s suspension will cost him over $2 million on his big $98 million Chicago Bears contract
‘Whether that showed up statistically or not, that’s debatable. But his ability to play the run, play the pass, I thought he did a really nice job. Hopefully it’s something we can piggyback on.’
Sweat, meanwhile, laid out a simple goal in training camp: ‘Just want to be better than the year before.’
But he will now miss two games with his suspension, an untimely blow after a heavy 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers last week dropped the team’s record to 3-2.
The Bears are still living without starting quarterback Caleb Williams, after he was carted off with a hamstring injury in Week 2.
But he could return in Sweat’s absence against the Falcons with Johnson admitting it is touch and go if this will be the week he returns.
‘He’s on track,’ Johnson said. ‘We’ll see if it’s Atlanta or after. I think it’s going to be close.’
