Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat spoke for the first time since the NFL suspended him two games for violating its performance-enhancing drug policy.
Sweat spoke directly to reporters on Tuesday, October 27 about the events leading up to his suspension. And while he offered an apology and appeared eager to move past the event and get back to playing winning football for a 5-2 Bears team with legitimate playoff aspirations, Sweat also noted that his positive test was “accidental” and “a surprise.”
“Well, I got suspended. I just want to apologize to my teammates, the fanbase, everybody. But moving forward now,” Sweat said, per video shared by CHGO Bears to X on October 27. “I failed one, and took my punishment and move forward.”
Sweat said he didn’t see the positive test on the horizon, implying he was unaware that whatever non-sanctioned substance he ingested was on the league’s banned list.
“It was definitely accidental. It was a surprise,” Sweat said. “But take a lick on the chin, you gotta keep moving forward.”
Sweat missed Chicago’s contests on the road against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 and at home against the New England Patriots on the most recent edition of “Thursday Night Football” in Week 7. The Bears won both games, even despite Sweat’s absence, in part because quarterback Caleb Williams was able to return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three contests.
Montez Sweat’s Suspension Cost Him More Than 2 Games
Sweat’s reputation around the league and in Chicago has obviously taken a hit, as most media and fans associate a PED suspension with a player taking steroids in an effort to cheat by gaining an unfair physical advantage.
However, it is possible that Sweat was unaware of his mistake as he was making it. Specific details on what substance the NFL found in Sweat’s system are not currently public.
The defensive end also took a financial blow, as his two-game absence cost him approximately $2.3 million in salary.
An early report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk indicated that Sweat might attempt an appeal to lessen his suspension by asking league officials to reclassify it as a violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy rather than its PED policy, though nothing ultimately came of that as Sweat accepted his two-game suspension and moved on.
Bears Strongly Considering Adding Pass-Rusher at NFL Trade Deadline
Meanwhile, the Bears have been looking at adding a pass-rusher ahead of the November 10 trade deadline, though that may not be connected directly, or indirectly, to Sweat’s recent troubles.
Dayo Odeyingbo, the team’s other starting defensive end, is currently on IR with a quadriceps injury and set to miss at least the next two games. Third-year edge-rusher Austin Booker has been vocal this season about wanting a bigger role, as he has functioned mostly as a pass-rush specialist on specific downs.
However, multiple reports continue to tie the Bears to interest in players like Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers, who could come in and start on the edge for Chicago or function as a specialized player, depending on the team’s needs. Mack has started all six games for L.A. this season, playing 71 percent of the Chargers’ defensive snaps to date.
Bears’ Montez Sweat Breaks Silence on NFL Suspension With Strong Claim