The Chicago Bears will be without Montez Sweat for two games, giving the Minnesota Vikings another chance to create distance in the NFC North while sitting pretty at 5-0 entering their bye week.
Minnesota already owns the head-to-head advantage after its 9-3 Week 2 win over Chicago, and the Bears have since slipped to 3-2 following a 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Now Chicago is forced to respond without the most proven pass rusher on its roster.
The NFL suspended Sweat without pay for two games for violating its performance-enhancing substances policy. Chicago subsequently placed him on the commissioner’s suspended list and activated defensive lineman Shemar Turner from PUP. Sweat will miss games against the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots before becoming eligible for reinstatement ahead of Week 8.
Montez Sweat suspension gives Minnesota Vikings room to strengthen NFC North lead
Sweat has two sacks through five games and was held without a tackle in Chicago’s loss at Green Bay, making the loss easy to downplay. That’s hardly a DPOY campaign.
But his larger body of work makes the absence more damaging. Sweat led Chicago with 10 sacks last season, along with 18 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles. He’s also started every Bears game this year and has played 69 percent of their defensive snaps.
Removing him changes how offenses attack Chicago’s front. Even when Sweat doesn't finish the play himself, an established edge defender demands protection help that can create better opportunities elsewhere. The Bears now have to reproduce that effect without the player opponents are most accustomed to accounting for.
Turner keeps this from becoming a total roster crisis. Chicago’s 2025 second-round pick was activated in the corresponding move, but expecting a seamless replacement is asking plenty. Turner tore his ACL last October after appearing in only five games as a rookie, and his return Tuesday marks the end of a lengthy recovery.
Sweat won’t miss a game against Minnesota, though. Barring another issue, he’ll be back long before the division rivals meet again on January 10, 2027.
Minnesota can still benefit from Chicago’s setback even with Sweat’s suspension falling outside the two Vikings matchups. Kevin O’Connell’s team is already 5-0, including two NFC North victories, and its unbeaten start has created a real gap. Every Bears loss during Sweat’s absence would make the climb steeper for a team Minnesota has already beaten once.
Chicago’s next two opponents are Atlanta and New England, so the Bears still have a realistic path to surviving Sweat’s absence without losing ground. But division races often come down to small openings that add up. The Bears just lost badly to Green Bay, their best edge rusher is unavailable for two weeks, and the Vikings get to spend their bye at 5-0 while Chicago tries to stop the wobble.
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