Montez Sweat got his preseason flowers from the NFL ahead of his first full season with the Bears.
Every preseason, the NFL releases its top 100 players list, ranking the best talent the league has to offer. They release the list partially from July 22 to Aug. 1. So far, they've released 100-71.
And Sweat finished No. 82 in the NFL. Here's the clip of Sweat's segment that aired on NFL Network.
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Last season, the Bears traded a 2024 second-round pick to the Commanders in exchange for Sweat. When they notched the deal, GM Ryan Poles signed him to a four-year extension worth $98 million.
That proved to be a strong move off the bat, as Sweat finished the season leading the Commanders and Bears in single-season sacks. That's never happened before in NFL history.
He finished with 12.5 sacks, giving the Bears six in the final nine games of the 2023 season. He also made 57 tackles, 25 quarterback hits, defended four passes and forced three fumbles. For the season he had last year, he earned his first career Pro Bowl nod.
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Since the Bears acquired him, the Bears ranked top 10 in points and yards per game allowed during the final part of the 2023 season. The Bears catapulted themselves into a top tier simply by adding Sweat, dubbing it "The Tez Effect."
And offensive linemen all across the NFL are familiar with the effect.
"When he gets going, he's a force to be reckoned with," Eagles tackle Lane Johnson said.