Montez Sweat on season opener: "I’m excited to get my hands on a QB" |
CHICAGO - Edge rusher Montez Sweat was key for Chicago’s defensive turnaround in the second half of last season. The last time Sweat played against the Tennessee Titans, who the Bears will open their season against this Sunday (Noon / FOX), back in 2022. Tennessee has changed a lot since then, with a new quarterback, new running back, new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator, and new head coach.
While this makes scouting for them a little more difficult than a typical season opener, for Sweat, it just means staying more focused and disciplined. “I just got to hone in on my scout report that I’m doing this year and things that they have shown us, and we’re going to move from there,” Sweat said. Sweat has always been a physical player. Training camp limits that physicality a bit because he is not able to make contact with the quarterback. He is currently listed on the injury report as questionable, but he was a full participant in practice, and head coach Matt Eberflus does not seem concerned about his availability. So, Sweat should get his first shot using his physicality to its fullest extent against inexperienced quarterback Will Levis, who has only played in nine games in the NFL. “Even in practice, we still got to stay off the QBs and all that type of stuff,” Sweat said. “So, I’m excited to get my hands on the QB.” Of course, Chicago’s quarterback, rookie Caleb Williams, is more inexperienced than Levis, as he has never played in an NFL regular-season game. Sweat played with the Washington Commanders prior to getting traded mid-season to the Bears last year, So He has been around a lot of quarterbacks. However, Williams has stood out to him as he has not been able to rattle Williams because he is so poised. “His poise. Most rookie quarterbacks, when they’re nervous, you can kind of tell,” Sweat said. “He doesn’t have that factor. He’s just anybody else in the building.” Because Williams will be starting his first NFL game Sunday and the offense has many new pieces, including receivers Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, tight end Gerald Everett, and running back D’Andre Swift, the defense is expected to start faster than the offense. Sweat said that is a responsibility he and the rest of the starters are willing to take on. “I think offense and defense complement each other,” Sweat said. “Obviously, a young QB and a more veteran defense, we take on that challenge of taking the lead, taking the forefront and just being, definitely being that security blanket that he can lean on.” While the Bears opted to acquire a lot of talent on offense via free agency, trade, and the draft, they did not take this approach on defense. Instead, they have put more emphasis on their homegrown talent. Defensive lineman Zacch Pickens will not be available for the Bears in their season opener. However, defensive end Dominique Robinson will be and he is expected to have a larger role in the defense than either of his first two seasons. “He’s always been a great player since I’ve been in here. He’s got the makeup, the size, the length, and the knowledge of the game,” Sweat said. “But, he has all the intangibles to be a good DN in this league.” This past Wednesday, the country saw the tragedy unfold at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where a 14-year-old shot and killed four people, two students and two teachers. Another nine people were taken to hospitals with injuries. For Sweat, this tragedy struck close to home as he went to high school about an hour away from Apalachee in Stone Mountain. “Giving my prayers and condolences to everybody impacted by the shooting at Apalachee High School was between Atlanta and Athens, close to where I’m from, and my thoughts and prayers are just with them,” Sweat said.
