Montez Sweat's Contract Ramifications and Bears' Updated Cap Space Ater Suspension

Here's the contract and cap space ramifications of Montez Sweat's suspension for the Bears.

Chicago Bears defensive line Montez Sweat (98) after the game against the New York Jets at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Montez Sweat's suspension will hurt him in the wallet and make his future a bit more uncertain, but it will also give the Chicago Bears more cap space.

Sweat was suspended two games by the NFL without pay for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances on Tuesday.

While this is obviously bad news for the Bears' defense, it is also bad news for Sweat's bank account and his remaining salary.

According to Spotrac, Sweat will forfeit $2.3 million of his 2026 salary, and the rest of his $12.7 million salary is unsecured because the suspension voids all future guarantees.

"Bears DE Montez Sweat will forfeit $2.3M of 2026 salary per his 2-game suspension for violating the league's PED policy," Spotrac said. "Additionally, the $12.7M remaining on Sweat's 2026 salary is now unsecured, as the PED suspension voided all future guarantees."

There is no impact on Sweat's contract for next year, though, as he did not have any guaranteed money on the final year of the contract to begin with.

Bears' update cap space

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before the game against the New York Jets at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Sweat giving up that money because of his suspension, the Bears now have more cap space to work with.

According to Spotrac, the Bears are now sitting with $11.4 million in cap space, which is 15th-most in the NFL.

That amount gives Chicago the flexibility to do something big or small, and they may want to do the latter because their depth at edge is extremely shaky.

Why Bears should make a move

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Shemar Turner (95) reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We would not expect anything big in the short term from the Bears and instead Chicago will likely wait until the NFL trade deadline, when the pool of available players is at its deepest.

In the short term, a move might be necessary, depending on the status of defensive end Dayo Odeyingo, who is dealing with a quadriceps injury.

We are still waiting on an update for Odeyingbo, and that update will come on Wednesday, when the Bears release their first injury report. Hopefully head coach Ben Johnson will have some specifics on Odeyingbo before that.

If there is no Sweat and Odeyingbo for the next game or two, the Bears will be in a precarious spot.

Austin Booker has been good this season with four sacks in five games, but the depth behind him is shaky, at best, with guys like Daniel Hardy, James Lynch, Jamree Kromah and Shemar Turner, who was activated off the PUP list on Tuesday.

Lynch is the only one who has notched sacks during his career and he has 3.5 in 74 games. Not exactly an inspiring group.

On the free-agent market, the Bears' options include players such as Haason Reddick, Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd and Denico Autry. Nothing exciting there, but that's what you have to expect in the middle of the season

Again, the Bears' desire to make a move will probably be heavily reliant on Odeyingbo's status. If he's out multiple games, kicking the tires on one of those players becomes much more likely.