​If you ask Ben Johnson about Montez Sweat’s 2025 season, the Chicago Bears head coach will likely emphasize just how impressed he was with the defensive end’s performance. “I loved him during the year, but when you watch the self-scout after the season, I think this was a guy who played at a very high level,” Johnson said during minicamp. “I talked to him yesterday about it. I would argue it was the best year of his career. Whether that showed up statistically or not, that’s debatable, but his ability to play the run and play the pass, I thought he did a really nice job. Hopefully it’s something we can piggyback on and carry that momentum into this year.”
Sweat, at 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds, wrapped up the 2025 campaign with 53 total tackles, 10 sacks, 48 total quarterback pressures, five passes defensed and three forced fumbles. According to Next Gen Stats, Sweat also led the league with six turnovers created by pressure. His standout performance helped earn him the 91st spot on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2026, underscoring that coaches and peers view him as a disruptive force for Chicago’s defense.
So where does Sweat rank among the NFL’s premier edge rushers? ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler began releasing his annual positional rankings, which incorporate votes from executives, coaches and scouts to identify the top players at each position. Not surprisingly, Sweat didn’t crack the top 10 and wasn’t listed as an honorable mention, though he did receive votes from a group of six players.
Sweat’s contract places him as a notable figure among edge rushers, with an average annual salary of $24.5 million, which ranks 16th across the league. Despite this ranking, Sweat remains competitive when measured against the 15 players who earn more on average. While he may not be regarded as one of the absolute elite pass rushers in the NFL, he is a high-quality contributor who fits Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme. Sweat represents the primary threat opposing offenses must account for in Chicago’s defense.
The Bears elected not to overhaul the defensive end position in the offseason, which means Sweat will shoulder even more responsibility to elevate the unit’s pass rush. The onus won’t rest solely on Sweat, though—the supporting cast around him will need to step up. Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, Shemar Turner, and interior linemen Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. will all need productive seasons to maximize Chicago’s overall pass-rush effectiveness. If Sweat can sustain the high level he showed in 2025 and the rest of the group can contribute consistently, the Bears’ pass rush could become a more dangerous and disruptive element in the NFC North. This improvement would not only bolster Chicago’s defense but also help the team contend for a more competitive standing as the season progresses.