Bears defensive lineman Montez Sweat is happy to be in a different environment.
The Commanders sent Sweat to the Bears at the trade deadline last season, and he quickly agreed to a four-year deal worth up to $98 million with Chicago.
In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times this week, Sweat said he was thrilled to get out of Washington, which went 28-45-1 during the four and a half seasons he was there.
“It was a toxic, heavy toll, just losing and people around you being kinda OK with losing,” Sweat said. “It could sometimes rub off on you. You’ve gotta stay hungry and know that you want to win.”
The Bears’ defense immediately improved when Sweat entered the lineup.
He recorded six sacks and 25 tackles in nine games following the trade.
“I definitely made a transition to a better spot for me,” Sweat said. “[Shoot], this was my first Pro Bowl and first double-digit sack year and all those types of things. I reached some accolades that I always had aspirations of getting, but never reached in Washington. You could definitely say it worked out better for me.”
Sweat also said he has taken on a more vocal role.
“I’ve grown into a leader,” he said. “I used to always like to lead by example, but lately I’ve felt myself talking more, encouraging guys more and just being that vessel for those guys to get some confidence.”
As for the Commanders, there are some signs that they could be on the upswing.
The franchise fired head coach Ron Rivera in January and replaced him with Dan Quinn.
They also selected quarterback Jayden Daniels out of LSU second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
A litmus test for where the respective franchises are at will come on Oct. 27 when the Commanders host the Bears.
