The Chicago Bears have a Montez Sweat problem. Not with Sweat himself… But with everything around him.
The Bears wrapped up the 2026 draft without taking a single edge rusher despite finishing 22nd in sacks (35) and 29th in pressure rate (28%) last season.
At the same time, Chase Young was putting together the most productive year of his career with the New Orleans Saints: 10 sacks, 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in just 12 games.
The Bears could use exactly that kind of production. And thanks to a recent contract restructure in New Orleans, a trade worth talking about is suddenly worth asking about.
The chemistry is there too as Montez Sweat and Young were teammates for three and a half seasons with the Washington Commanders before both were dealt at the 2023 deadline.
The case for a reunion
GettySaints DE Chase Young
Since arriving with the Chicago Bears, Montez Sweat has become the engine of the pass rush. He finished 2025 with 10 sacks, 18 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.
The problem is what came after him…
Dayo Odeyingbo managed one sack in eight games before tearing his Achilles. Shemar Turner is working back from a torn ACL. Austin Booker was promising with 4.5 in 10 games.
Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles passed on every edge rusher in the 2026 draft and largely sat out free agency at the position. Their stated plan is better health and better coaching.
“We will coach better than a year ago…it’s a combination of us being able to coach better and those guys (mentioned Sweat, Booker, Dayo, Turner) taking the next step.” Ben Johnson said. “I think we have some pretty good pieces to work with.”
That plan is a gamble.
Here’s what makes a potential trade even better: Chase Young is 27 years old and entering what could be the peak of his career on a rebuilding team.
Sure the health concerns that defined his first few seasons in the league aren’t entirely gone. But he’s strung together enough games now to suggest the worst is behind him.
What a trade could look like
GettySaints DE Chase Young
Yes, this is a long shot. Chase Young just had his contract restructured which while it makes the trade itself easier, signals New Orleans wants to keep him. He’s been called a “foundational piece” of their defensive front. The Saints aren’t going to give him away.
But for a rebuilding team like the Saints, it’s hard to say they’d flatly say no if the right offer came in.
Complicating things a bit, the Chicago Bears aren’t exactly swimming in cap space after the draft. They’re sitting at roughly $10.8 million before rookie deals even hit the books, so any move like this would take some careful maneuvering.
A 2026 or 2027 third round pick, maybe with a veteran contract included for salary purposes, could be enough to get the Saints to listen.
Young is signed through 2027, which gives Chicago some flexibility. If the fit isn’t right, they could get out after the 2026 season, but it would come with about $14.7 million in dead money. In other words, the contract is workable, just not particularly clean.
Still, the reunion makes too much sense to completely rule out.
Bears Could Reunite Montez Sweat With Former Teammate in Bold Trade Idea