Montez Sweat returns to Bears practice after suspension and apologizes
The Chicago defensive end said he would not intentionally cheat the game but did not explain what caused his positive test. The Bears won twice while he was out.
Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat returned to practice with his teammates in Lake Forest, Illinois, on Tuesday, October 27, after serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy. According to the Associated Press, he apologized to teammates and fans as Chicago prepared for its Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks.
“I just want to apologize to my teammates, the fan base, everybody, but I’m moving forward now,” Sweat said Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. He said he would never intentionally cheat the game and described the positive test as a surprise, but did not explain what caused it.
How Sweat returned to Bears practice
The NFL suspended Sweat on October 13, Shaw Local reported. The Bears activated him on Friday after their Thursday win over the New England Patriots. He had returned to team meetings and workouts the previous week, but Tuesday marked his first practice with teammates since the suspension.
Sweat called the time away “devastating” and said he had missed being in the locker room with his teammates. He also described facing coach Ben Johnson after learning of the suspension as difficult. “Nobody wants to look someone in the eye after you’ve done something detrimental like that to the team,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
How the Bears played without Sweat
Chicago beat the Atlanta Falcons and Patriots during Sweat’s absence. The Associated Press reported that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen used more blitzes to pressure Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and New England quarterback Drake Maye. Slot cornerback Tyrique Stevenson recorded four sacks across those games, while Daniel Hardy joined the defensive end rotation; Shaw Local credited Hardy with 1.5 sacks over the same span.
“They didn’t miss a beat,” Sweat said of his teammates, according to the Associated Press. He had two sacks this season before his return to practice. The Bears’ preparation for Seattle now gives him a chance to rejoin a defense that won both games he missed.
Sweat’s return follows NewsJaws’ earlier report on his two-game suspension. The former Pro Bowl defensive end joined Chicago from Washington near the 2023 trade deadline and signed a four-year, $98 million extension shortly afterward, the Associated Press reported. That deal runs through next season.
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Sources and context
- Bears defensive end Montez Sweat returns from PED suspension and apologizes to teammatesAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Chicago Bears’ Montez Sweat looking forward after ‘devastating’ two-game suspensionShaw Local
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.