Getty Quarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears don’t appear likely to find the trade value they want for quarterback Justin Fields in terms of draft compensation, but perhaps they can get there in the form of an active player.
Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron floated a trade pitch on Wednesday, March 13 flipping Fields to the Philadelphia Eagles for edge rusher Josh Sweat.
Josh Sweat is only 26 years old and has 31 sacks in the last four years. Eagles seem likely to trade him.
Justin Fields has been linked to Philly. Fields for Sweat swap, straight up.
Let’s get Sweaty in Chicago. #Bears
“Josh Sweat is only 26 years old and has 31 sacks in the last four years. Eagles seem likely to trade him,” Infante wrote. “Justin Fields has been linked to Philly. Fields for Sweat swap, straight up. Let’s get Sweaty in Chicago. #Bears”
Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported on March 11 that the Eagles have spent the last several weeks considering whether to trade Josh Sweat, his teammate and fellow pass rusher Haason Reddick, or both.
“In recent weeks, the Eagles have been exploring options to trade their starting edge rusher Haason Reddick and/or Josh Sweat,” Zangaro wrote. “The addition of [Bryce] Huff certainly won’t slow down that process and, at this point, it would be pretty surprising if both of their starters from 2023 are back.”
Another Sweat Already Working Out Well for Bears’ Defense
GettyDefensive end Josh Sweat of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Among Chicago’s top priorities this offseason will be to address its pass rush, which was 31st in the NFL last season out of 32 teams with just 30 total sacks.
Things probably would have been considerably worse if the Bears hadn’t addressed one side of the defense by trading a second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat. He finished the year with 12.5 sacks between the two teams, becoming the first player in league history to lead two franchises in total sacks during the same season.
The 27-year-old Montez Sweat earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his five-year NFL career in 2023 for his efforts and also inked a four-year contract worth $98 million total. Josh Sweat has been in the league six years and has a Pro Bowl appearance of his own (2021). He is currently playing on a three-year contract worth $40 million total that runs through next season.
Josh Sweat’s run defense wasn’t great in 2022, but he put up 7.0 sacks along with 16 QB hits, 45 hurries and 68 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. As such, Josh and Montez Sweat would be a formidable pairing on opposing edges of the Bears’ defense moving forward.
Also, for those wondering, the two players are not blood relatives.
Swapping Justin Fields for Josh Sweat Solves Multiple Problems for Bears
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The simple solution of flipping Fields for Sweat solves several of Chicago’s problems.
First, the Bears want real value for the quarterback, which will be difficult now considering how many potential contenders for his services already locked down long-term starters or bridge quarterbacks in free agency. That the upcoming draft class is potentially six first-round QBs deep, which also doesn’t help Fields’ value.
If Chicago ends up selecting Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall, the likelihood is that the team uses the No. 9 pick to address one of three positions: wide receiver, left tackle or edge rusher. The Bears were hoping for second-round value for Fields, presumably to fill one of those three positions that they don’t supplement with the No. 9 selection.
Trading for Josh Sweat and extending him accomplishes that goal. The Bears have $56.3 million in cap space as of Wednesday, which means absorbing the defensive end’s approximately $9 million cap hit in 2024 is reasonable. His market value on an extension is $64.7 million over a new three-year deal, according to Spotrac, though that figure is at least potentially liable to change over the next year.
The only question that remains is whether Philadelphia would be interested in such a trade. According to ESPN, the Eagles have only 2023 sixth-round pick Tanner McKee on the roster behind starting QB Jalen Hurts. McKee is, at best, a thin insurance at the game’s most important position, particularly for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Considering Fields’ reduced trade value since the start of free agency, the Eagles may not be interested in a straight up swap for Josh Sweat. However, if the Bears throw in a late-round pick alongside Fields, that might be enough to grease the wheels of a deal.