Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat has been suspended for two games without pay for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. The 30-year-old will miss the Bears' Week 6 matchup at the Atlanta Falcons and their Week 7 game against the New England Patriots. He will be eligible for reinstatement on Oct. 23.
The suspension comes two days after fellow Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo left the first half of Chicago's 31-7 loss at the Green Bay Packers with a quad injury and did not return. Coach Ben Johnson had no update on Odeyingbo's health Monday. Sweat has recorded seven tackles and two sacks through Chicago's first five games. He led the Bears with 10 sacks last season.
In a corresponding move, the Bears activated defensive end Shemar Turner from the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday. Turner, a 2025 second-round pick, has practiced since Sept. 23 and will take Sweat's spot on the 53-man roster. He was limited to five games as a rookie and suffered a season-ending ACL tear on Oct. 26, 2025. He adds depth to a thin defensive end group led by Austin Booker, who has a team-high four sacks.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said last week that players returning from the PUP list would not be ready to handle full workloads right away. "I think the prudent action would be start to incorporate them in and yet don't expect them to be full-time players initially," Allen said.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing