Bears Cut Ties With Young Pass Rusher After Montez Sweat Trade

Getty The Bears have officially announced their trade for star defensive end Montez Sweat.

The Chicago Bears are making a corresponding deduction from their defensive end room after officially acquiring star Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in a deal before the 2023 NFL trade deadline.

According to the team’s official transaction wire for October 31, the Bears waived defensive end Khalid Kareem on Tuesday to make room for Sweat on the 53-man roster. They also released cornerback Joejuan Williams from their practice squad.

Kareem’s time in Chicago has been puzzling, to say the least. The Bears claimed him off the waivers from the Indianapolis Colts following 53-man roster cutdowns in August, adding him to their rotation rather than keeping either Trevis Gipson or Terrell Lewis. After spending the first two weeks inactive, though, Kareem popped up on the injury report in Week 3 with a hip issue and shortly after landed on injured reserve.

While the Bears did activate Kareem on October 28 and get him his first snaps of 2023 in Week 8’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, he notched just a single pressure on 26 total defensive snaps and struggled to make an impression in his season debut.

Kareem could still have an opportunity to return to the Bears’ practice squad if he clears waivers. The Bears created an opening on their 16-man roster with Williams’ release on Tuesday, and another spot is expected to open on Wednesday with the Atlanta Falcons set to poach rookie defensive tackle Travis Bell off their practice squad.

Montez Sweat ‘Going to Fit Right Into’ Bears’ Culture

The Bears are getting a significant upgrade for their defensive trenches with Sweat. He has produced 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss over his first eight games of the 2023 season and, given the compensation the Bears gave up to get him, has the opportunity to become a foundational piece for their defense as Chicago’s rebuild continues.

What Bears head coach Matt Eberflus likes most about him, though, is the “great motor” he has that enables him to be a hard worker and a great run defender.

“I evaluated him when he was coming out of Mississippi State and also since he has been in the pros,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “What’s unique about him is that he’s one heck of a pass rusher but he’s also — talking to the guys that have played against him in the building and just watching his tape — he’s a really good run player and plays with a great motor. He’s a great practice player … so he’s going to fit right into our culture in terms of working And your best players have to be your hardest workers.”

How Much Longer Will Dominique Robinson Last?

Sweat could end up being one of the better acquisitions of general manager Ryan Poles’ tenure if things work out as intended. With Sweat’s arrival, though, the Bears are running out of reasons to keep going with backup defensive end Dominique Robinson.

The Bears picked up Robinson — a raw prospect who had only played a few years of football before the NFL — in the fifth round of the 2022 draft and have been working to mold him into a formidable pass rusher over the past 17 months. Eight games into his second season, though, things are not trending in the right direction for Robinson.

According to Pro Football Focus, Robinson is the second-lowest-graded defensive player (37.9) on the Bears’ roster through eight weeks. He has logged just four tackles and five pressures and assisted on a sack over his 165 defensive snaps, and the Bears also made him a healthy inactive during Week 8’s matchup with the Chargers.

There was some speculation the Bears would release Robinson, not Kareem, to clear room for Sweat on their 53-man roster. Robinson does wear the No. 90 jersey that Sweat wore in Washington. Instead, the second-year pass rusher will get a little more time to prove himself, even though he will work as the fifth edge rusher in the rotation.