Montez Sweat Now Ready to Work Up a Bigger Sweat at Minicamp

Bears edge rusher says missing voluntary OTAs was nothing out of the unusual for him as he has his own way of being ready for when mandatory work starts.

Montez Sweat's pass rush made all the difference last year for the Bears and they're getting a first limited offseason look at him at minicamp. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Montez Sweat's absence from Bears voluntary OTAs is to be treated a bit like Robert Quinn's absence was.

Quinn set a record for Bears sacks in a season, so no one really complained about how he missed the offseason work the next season. He kept himself in shape his own way.

"It's just a regimen that I built upon my years being in the league," Sweat said Tuesday after he practiced on a limited basis at mandatory minicamp. "I was in great contact with coach (Matt Eberflus), (defensive coordinator Eric) Washington and my position coach (Travis Smith). Also, with the guys in the building just at staying on tune with the (defensive) installs and all that type of stuff. It's almost like I didn't miss a beat."

Bears coach Matt Eberflus got a look at Sweat Tuesday at minicamp and anticipates getting a better chance in the next few days to see the pass rusher who made his defense finally work the way it should. Offseason is offseason and in-season is when players need to be prepared, and coaches think Sweat will be ready.

"I really feel that Montez is in a good spot," Eberflus said. "Obviously his talent level is there and our system and the way our culture is, really lets guys play at their highest level. Meaning that we're going to make sure guys play at their max effort, max intensity, max preparation, because that's the way we do it. We don't walk by mistakes here. We don't let things slide. Doesn't matter if you're Montez or you're DJ (Moore) or you're Caleb (Williams), that doesn't matter.

Montez Sweat looking like a BEAST 💪
pic.twitter.com/vRmcsCRTmK

— Six Point Bears (@SixPointBears) June 4, 2024

DEFENSIVE CHIRPING CONTINUES AS CALEB WILLIAMS SHOWS IMPROVEMENT

BEARS' DEVELOPMENT OF CALEB WILLIAMS SLOWER NOW FOR A REASON

BEST-CASE BEARS SCENARIO PROBABLY GOES BEYOND FANS' WILDEST DREAMS

BEARS CORNERBACK GROUP COMES AWAY WITH A NO. 1 RATING

"We have a standard of how we operate and it's coached by the coaches and enforced by the players. He understood that coming in, too. He was very clear with our message on how we do things and he bought into it and he got better every single week. We anticipate that this year, too."

Upon arrival at minicamp, Sweat saw nothing really different beyond the departure of defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and edge Yannick Ngakoue.

"We brought basically the same defensive staff back and we've got a lot of guys on defense back, so it's definitely some familiar faces, familiar calls, of course, and all that type of stuff," Sweat said. "Sort of kind of pick up where you left off, but we'll see."

The personel difference could matter for a while, unless the Bears bring in another pass rusher.

"We lost two guys, two great guys up front, Justin Johnson and Yannick Ngakoue, but we got some young guys that are really stepping up and an experienced guy like Jake Martin that's really making some noise out there," Sweat said. "So, I am pretty excited on what I'm seeing."

Another sack for Montez Sweat with help from Brisker pic.twitter.com/RElTx27mgW

— Barroom Network - Aldo Gandia (@BarroomNetwork) November 28, 2023

Sweat already went through the adjustment and new player situation at midseason last year the hard way, as he was acquired for a second-round draft pick before going on to finish with 12 1/2 sacks, six in Chicago. It resulted in his first Pro Bowl berth.

"It was just all a blessing for me," Sweat said. "It just displayed a bunch of hard work that I've been displaying for my whole life. It's also a credit to the guys I had around. I maybe wasn't getting so much attention in Washington and when I got here it seemed like it was all about me but it was really the guys around me that was doing everything."

The Pro Bowl made the midseason trade and adjustment period all worthwhile, he said.

"It was an experience I won't forget," Sweat said. "It was a goal of mine since I got in the league. Everybody wants to be a Pro Bowler. Yeah, we've just got to build upon that."

When he's up and fully operationally, Sweat expects only one thing: "Just be better than I was last year. Obviously, I set goals for myself and my team and I plan on achieving them."

Not all of Sweat's duties last year included sacks or causing the so-called "Sweat effect." Being an example for young edge rusher Dominique Robinson was important. Now add rookie Austin Booker to the this.

"I've just gotta be that big brother for him," Sweat said. "Be there for him when he has a question, just help him along the way like the vets helped me."

It's likely to be more of a lead by example situation, like it was for Sweat when he learned by watching Ryan Kerrigan with the Commanders as a rookie.

"I saw the way he trained, the way he took care of his body, I saw the way he practiced and I wanted to mimic that," Sweat said.

The Bears have seen how he does this, and apparently it's fine as they look to get their top pass rusher back involved with the defense more in the final two days of minicamp.

"I think that we were checking on Sweat a little bit, because we hadn't seen him in physical activity," Eberflus said. "He was just in the building for the other stuff. He'll, hopefully, ramp up (Wednesday) and get some more team reps in there as we go."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven