CHICAGO, United States, October 13, 2026: The Chicago Bears have lost defensive end Montez Sweat for two games, and the timing could hardly be worse. The NFL suspended the former Pro Bowler without pay Tuesday for violating its performance-enhancing substances policy, removing one of Chicago’s most established pass rushers immediately after a humiliating 31-7 defeat to the Green Bay Packers. Sweat will miss Sunday’s visit to the Atlanta Falcons and the October 22 home game against the New England Patriots, leaving a 3-2 Bears team facing an uncomfortable defensive examination.
Chicago’s problem extends beyond replacing Sweat’s two sacks through five games. The Packers exposed serious vulnerabilities in the Bears’ defense Sunday, with quarterback Jordan Love throwing for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, linebacker T.J. Edwards and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson also suffered injuries during the defeat. Chicago has activated Shemar Turner from the physically unable to perform list, but the rookie’s return does not automatically restore the experience, pressure or tactical flexibility the team has lost. With Atlanta’s dangerous playmakers awaiting and another game only four days later, the next two weeks could reveal considerably more about Chicago’s defensive depth than anyone wanted to learn.
Why Does Montez Sweat’s Suspension Hurt Chicago So Much?
Sweat has been one of the Bears’ most important defensive investments since arriving from the Washington Commanders in an October 2023 trade. Chicago subsequently signed him to a four-year, $98 million contract extension, recognizing the value of an established edge rusher capable of disrupting opposing quarterbacks.
The 30-year-old produced 10 sacks in 2025, helping Chicago reach the NFC Divisional Round. He has registered two sacks, seven total tackles and four quarterback hits through five appearances this season.
Those numbers might suggest his early-season impact has been modest. However, sack totals alone do not capture an edge defender’s responsibilities.
A pass rusher can affect an offense by forcing earlier throws, narrowing a quarterback’s escape routes, drawing additional blocking attention or disrupting the timing of developing routes. Removing that presence changes the assignments of other defenders even when the player is not consistently reaching the quarterback.
That distinction becomes important because Chicago has already demonstrated how sharply its defensive performances can fluctuate.
During the Bears’ 23-12 victory over the New York Jets in Week 4, the defense limited New York to 157 total yards and helped compensate for another quarterback change.
Against Green Bay one week later, the Bears surrendered 31 points and allowed Love to complete 25 of 31 passes. Chicago’s offense also committed five turnovers, creating additional pressure on a defense already struggling to contain explosive plays.
According to the Bears’ official account of the Packers defeat, Green Bay scored touchdowns on its opening two possessions and never allowed Chicago to recover.
Even before Sweat’s suspension, the game had raised questions about Chicago’s ability to maintain defensive consistency against stronger opponents.
Who Replaces Montez Sweat in the Bears’ Defensive Line?
Chicago moved quickly to address the roster vacancy, officially activating defensive lineman Shemar Turner from Reserve/PUP on October 13 while placing Sweat on the Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner list.
The Bears confirmed both transactions in their roster announcement.
Turner’s activation provides another available defensive lineman, but it should not be mistaken for confirmation that he will assume Sweat’s complete workload or responsibilities.
Chicago also has Austin Booker, whose pass-rushing contributions become more important with Sweat unavailable. The coaching staff must determine how to distribute edge assignments, preserve pressure from the interior and avoid creating easier protection decisions for opposing offensive lines.
Odeyingbo’s quadriceps injury adds another layer of uncertainty. His availability for Atlanta had not been established in the reporting available when the suspension was announced.
The larger defensive picture is complicated by the injuries suffered by Edwards and Stevenson against Green Bay. Each plays a different position, but availability problems across multiple defensive units can restrict a coordinator’s ability to disguise coverages, rotate personnel and use aggressive pressure packages.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen now faces several overlapping questions rather than one straightforward substitution.
What Will Change Without Sweat?
Three tactical adjustments deserve particular attention against Atlanta and New England:
- Edge pressure: Chicago must generate disruption without relying on Sweat to occupy blockers or threaten offensive tackles.
- Defensive rotations: Booker, Turner and other available linemen could face expanded responsibilities, depending on the coaching staff’s final personnel decisions.
- Coverage protection: If Chicago cannot pressure quarterbacks with its usual four-man rush, Allen may have to choose between sending additional defenders and leaving fewer players in coverage.
Those possibilities are tactical implications, not confirmed changes to Chicago’s game plan. The coaches’ actual response will become clearer through practice participation, personnel deployment and Sunday’s game.
Atlanta Presents a Dangerous First Test for Chicago’s Weakened Defense
The Falcons have already shown they can punish teams that lose control of the line of scrimmage.
Atlanta’s season changed dramatically when quarterback Michael Penix Jr. returned to the starting role after an injury absence. In Week 3, the Falcons scored 35 points against Green Bay, with Bijan Robinson rushing for 194 yards and Drake London adding 194 receiving yards.
That performance, examined in The Sports Encounter’s analysis of Atlanta’s 35-14 victory over the Packers, illustrated how an effective running game can create space for explosive passing plays.
Atlanta followed with a 45-24 victory against New Orleans in Week 4. Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while Brian Robinson Jr. added three rushing scores. Their combined production gave the Falcons multiple ways to attack defensive fronts.
Our Falcons-Saints breakdown explained how Atlanta’s backfield combination changed the demands placed on opposing defenders.
However, the Falcons enter this matchup with problems of their own.
Atlanta fell to 2-3 after losing 30-23 in overtime to Baltimore on October 11. Penix suffered a rib injury during that game, and Tua Tagovailoa replaced him before throwing the interception that ended the Falcons’ final possession.
Penix’s availability against Chicago therefore requires monitoring. His absence, if confirmed, would alter the passing-game matchup, although Atlanta’s established rushing threats would remain important.
Chicago Will Also Face a Familiar Defensive Lineman
One of the game’s more intriguing personnel connections sits on the opposite sideline.
Atlanta acquired defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. from Chicago in August. The Falcons subsequently agreed to a reported four-year, $78 million extension with the former Bears defender.
As TSE examined in its analysis of Dexter’s contract, Atlanta has made a substantial commitment to his long-term development as an interior defensive presence.
Dexter’s return as an opponent does not directly determine how Chicago replaces Sweat, since they occupy different defensive roles. It does add another dimension to a matchup involving two teams that have made significant decisions about their defensive lines.
Chicago’s current challenge is to demonstrate that its remaining personnel can produce an effective collective response.
Can the Bears Handle New England Four Days After Atlanta?
Chicago’s second game without Sweat arrives Thursday, October 22, against the Patriots at Soldier Field.
That short turnaround reduces the time available to assess Sunday’s defensive performance, practice adjustments and prepare another game plan.
New England has different offensive priorities from Atlanta. Quarterback Drake Maye gives the Patriots a young passer capable of testing both coverage discipline and pressure coordination.
His opening-night difficulties against Seattle demonstrated the importance of defensive disruption. Maye threw three interceptions as the Seahawks rallied to win 13-10, a game TSE reconstructed through its decisive fourth-quarter moments.
Chicago cannot assume that New England will reproduce those mistakes. The Patriots enter Week 6 at 3-2 and have had additional opportunities to refine their offense since September.
For Allen’s defense, the challenge will be generating pressure without exposing its secondary. If Chicago’s front four cannot consistently affect Maye, the Patriots may have more time to develop intermediate routes and test coverage assignments.
The Bears must also account for the cumulative workload of their replacement defensive linemen across two games in five calendar days.
When Can Montez Sweat Return From His NFL Suspension?
Sweat is expected to be eligible for reinstatement on Friday, October 23, after Chicago’s Thursday night game against New England.
The Bears then have an extended interval before traveling to Seattle for their next scheduled contest on Monday, November 2.
That makes the Seahawks game his first potential appearance after serving the suspension, subject to the league’s reinstatement requirements and Chicago’s roster decisions.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Sweat Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 18, 2026 | Atlanta Falcons | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | Suspended |
| October 22, 2026 | New England Patriots | Soldier Field, Chicago | Suspended |
| November 2, 2026 | Seattle Seahawks | Lumen Field, Seattle | Eligible to return, subject to reinstatement |
The dates and opponents are confirmed in the Chicago Bears’ official 2026 schedule.
The NFL has not publicly identified the specific substance or circumstances that prompted Sweat’s suspension. It would therefore be inappropriate to attribute the violation to any particular drug, supplement or testing result.
What Does Sweat’s Absence Mean for Chicago’s NFC North Ambitions?
The Bears have already experienced an unusually turbulent start to their season.
They opened with a 59-37 victory over Carolina, powered by an extraordinary offensive performance and 289 rushing yards. That result, covered in TSE’s opening-week analysis, suggested Chicago possessed enough firepower to trouble almost any opponent.
Then quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury during the Week 2 defeat to Minnesota, forcing the Bears to rely on their quarterback depth. Our Week 2 coverage documented how that injury complicated Chicago’s offensive plans.
Chicago recovered to reach 3-1 before Green Bay exposed problems on both sides of the ball.
Now Sweat’s suspension has removed another important piece of the team.
The Bears enter this stretch at 3-2, behind the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. Green Bay and Detroit are also 3-2, leaving little separation among the division’s chasing teams.
As TSE’s Week 5 NFL power rankings emphasized, Chicago’s divisional position cannot be understood simply through its early victories. The quality and sustainability of its performances matter.
Sunday’s trip to Atlanta now becomes a test of whether the defense can correct its problems while operating without one of its most experienced linemen.
The New England game will test how quickly those corrections can survive another opponent and an unusually short preparation period.
Two defeats would leave Chicago at 3-4 before visiting the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Two victories would produce a very different picture: a Bears team that absorbed a significant personnel setback and maintained its place in the divisional race.
Neither outcome is predetermined.
What is certain is that the next two games will tell Chicago far more about its defensive depth than Sweat’s individual sack total ever could.
Frequently Asked Questions About Montez Sweat’s Suspension
Why was Montez Sweat suspended by the NFL?
The NFL suspended Montez Sweat for two games without pay for violating its performance-enhancing substances policy. The league has not publicly disclosed the specific substance or circumstances behind the violation.
How many games will Montez Sweat miss?
Sweat will miss two regular-season games: Chicago’s October 18 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and its October 22 game against the New England Patriots.
When is Montez Sweat eligible to play again?
Sweat is expected to become eligible for reinstatement October 23. Chicago’s next scheduled game is against the Seattle Seahawks on November 2, making that his first potential return date.
Who could help replace Montez Sweat?
The Bears activated rookie defensive lineman Shemar Turner from Reserve/PUP. Austin Booker and other available defenders could also take on additional responsibilities. Chicago has not confirmed a complete replacement plan.
How many sacks does Montez Sweat have in 2026?
Sweat has recorded two sacks through five games in the 2026 NFL regular season. He registered 10 sacks for Chicago in 2025.
Is Caleb Williams available for the Falcons game?
Williams has been recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered against Minnesota in Week 2. His participation against Atlanta depends on the Bears’ latest medical evaluation, practice reports and final availability decision. His return should not be assumed without confirmation.