Overview
- The NFL announced on Tuesday that defensive end Montez Sweat has been suspended two games without pay for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy and will be eligible for reinstatement on Oct. 23, 2026.
- Sweat will miss Chicago’s Week 6 road game at Atlanta and the Week 7 home game versus New England, and the team has activated Shemar Turner to the 53-man roster to help fill the vacancy.
- Spotrac and multiple outlets reported Sweat will forfeit roughly $2.3 million in 2026 pay for the two unpaid games and that the suspension voided his remaining guaranteed money, changing the Bears’ future cap and personnel choices.
- With Sweat out and Dayo Odeyingbo listed questionable after a quad injury, Austin Booker is expected to see a larger snap share as the primary interior replacement and James Lynch or Daniel Hardy could also draw increased work.
- A two-game penalty typically aligns with a first-time stimulant, diuretic, or masking-agent violation rather than a steroid suspension, and Sweat’s 2023 trade and four-year, $98 million extension give context to why this timing matters for Chicago’s rebuilding plans.