Montez Sweat Is Back, but Another Bears Pass Rusher Has Made Himself Hard to Bench
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- Montez Sweat Is Back, but Another Bears Pass Rusher Has Made Himself Hard to Bench
Montez Sweat will return to the Chicago Bears against Seattle on Monday night, giving Dennis Allen back his most established edge rusher. Usually, that would make the defensive line rotation easier to arrange. Daniel Hardy has made it more interesting.
While Sweat served a two-game suspension, Hardy took on more defensive work and produced 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hitsin wins over Atlanta and New England. Those are modest numbers over a full season, but they came in the first extended opportunity of a depth player. More significantly, Ben Johnson noticed the pressure behind them.
Johnson said Wednesday that Hardy has done as good a job as anyone affecting quarterbacks over the last two weeks and deserves more playing time on defense. Sweat’s return, then, need not push Hardy back into his old role. It gives Allen a chance to find out what the two can offer together.
Hardy has long been valuable to Chicago without playing much on defense. He led the Bears with 19 special teams tackles in 2025. His effort and speed were familiar to the coaching staff; what they had seen less often was how he would handle a larger pass-rushing assignment.
The last two games offered an answer. Hardy recorded a sack against the Falcons and half a sack against the Patriots. He brought energy off the edge while remaining available for his usual special teams work. During Johnson’s October 27 appearance on Bears, etc. , the coach praised Hardy’s relentless approach and stamina.
Two games do not prove he will produce at that rate all season. Opponents will study his recent snaps and prepare for him. But Hardy has done enough to make a return to occasional defensive appearances feel like a missed opportunity.
There is room to keep testing him. Dayo Odeyingbo is on injured reserve, and Chicago has needed contributions from more than one edge rusher. Austin Booker has recorded four sacks through seven games, while Allen has also generated pressure by sending defensive backs, including Kyler Gordon . Hardy’s emergence gives the coordinator another conventional option up front.
Sweat remains central to the plan. Johnson called him steady against the run through his first five games but said he wants to see more impact when Sweat gets one-on-one chances as a pass rusher. Sweat recorded two sacks before the suspension.
There is context for that total. Johnson noted that opponents treat Sweat as Chicago’s leading edge threat, sliding protection toward him or using extra contact to slow him down. If Booker and Hardy demand more attention, those blocking decisions could become harder. Johnson’s hope is that the other rushers help create cleaner opportunities for Sweat.
The coach was asking for more from a player he trusts, not suggesting Sweat had lost his place. Sweat had 10 sacks last season, and his return adds a proven defender to a group that won twice without him. The question is whether Chicago can turn that added depth into more consistent pressure without depending so heavily on Allen’s pressure packages.
Sweat also returns after a difficult stretch away from the team. He told ESPN that taking the banned substance was accidental, accepted responsibility for the violation and described the suspension as devastating. He declined to say what caused the positive test. Monday will be his first chance to contribute on the field since being reinstated.
Against the Seahawks, the Bears can use fresh rushers throughout the game rather than treat every snap as a contest between Sweat and Hardy. Allen can also choose different combinations for early downs and passing situations, depending on what Seattle’s offense gives him.
That flexibility only helps if the rushers make it count. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold has weapons who can punish a defense when pressure fails to arrive. Chicago will need its edge players to affect him while keeping the rest of the defense sound.
Sweat’s return is good news for the Bears. Hardy’s recent play makes it better news than a simple return to the old rotation. Johnson has challenged Sweat to do more and said Hardy has earned the chance to keep playing. Seattle will offer the first look at how Allen puts both decisions into practice.
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Montez Sweat Is Back, but Another Bears Pass Rusher Has Made Himself Hard to Bench
Montez Sweat Is Back, but Another Bears Pass Rusher Has Made Himself Hard to Bench
Montez Sweat will return to the Chicago Bears against Seattle on Monday night, giving Dennis Allen back his most established edge rusher. Usually, that would make the defensive line rotation easier to arrange. Daniel Hardy has made it more interesting.
While Sweat served a two-game suspension, Hardy took on more defensive work and produced 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hitsin wins over Atlanta and New England. Those are modest numbers over a full season, but they came in the first extended opportunity of a depth player. More significantly, Ben Johnson noticed the pressure behind them.
Johnson said Wednesday that Hardy has done as good a job as anyone affecting quarterbacks over the last two weeks and deserves more playing time on defense. Sweat’s return, then, need not push Hardy back into his old role. It gives Allen a chance to find out what the two can offer together.
Hardy earned this opportunity
Hardy has long been valuable to Chicago without playing much on defense. He led the Bears with 19 special teams tackles in 2025. His effort and speed were familiar to the coaching staff; what they had seen less often was how he would handle a larger pass-rushing assignment.
The last two games offered an answer. Hardy recorded a sack against the Falcons and half a sack against the Patriots. He brought energy off the edge while remaining available for his usual special teams work. During Johnson’s October 27 appearance on Bears, etc. , the coach praised Hardy’s relentless approach and stamina.
Two games do not prove he will produce at that rate all season. Opponents will study his recent snaps and prepare for him. But Hardy has done enough to make a return to occasional defensive appearances feel like a missed opportunity.
There is room to keep testing him. Dayo Odeyingbo is on injured reserve, and Chicago has needed contributions from more than one edge rusher. Austin Booker has recorded four sacks through seven games, while Allen has also generated pressure by sending defensive backs, including Kyler Gordon . Hardy’s emergence gives the coordinator another conventional option up front.
Sweat has a challenge of his own
Sweat remains central to the plan. Johnson called him steady against the run through his first five games but said he wants to see more impact when Sweat gets one-on-one chances as a pass rusher. Sweat recorded two sacks before the suspension.
There is context for that total. Johnson noted that opponents treat Sweat as Chicago’s leading edge threat, sliding protection toward him or using extra contact to slow him down. If Booker and Hardy demand more attention, those blocking decisions could become harder. Johnson’s hope is that the other rushers help create cleaner opportunities for Sweat.
The coach was asking for more from a player he trusts, not suggesting Sweat had lost his place. Sweat had 10 sacks last season, and his return adds a proven defender to a group that won twice without him. The question is whether Chicago can turn that added depth into more consistent pressure without depending so heavily on Allen’s pressure packages.
Sweat also returns after a difficult stretch away from the team. He told ESPN that taking the banned substance was accidental, accepted responsibility for the violation and described the suspension as devastating. He declined to say what caused the positive test. Monday will be his first chance to contribute on the field since being reinstated.
A rotation with more than one answer
Against the Seahawks, the Bears can use fresh rushers throughout the game rather than treat every snap as a contest between Sweat and Hardy. Allen can also choose different combinations for early downs and passing situations, depending on what Seattle’s offense gives him.
That flexibility only helps if the rushers make it count. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold has weapons who can punish a defense when pressure fails to arrive. Chicago will need its edge players to affect him while keeping the rest of the defense sound.
Sweat’s return is good news for the Bears. Hardy’s recent play makes it better news than a simple return to the old rotation. Johnson has challenged Sweat to do more and said Hardy has earned the chance to keep playing. Seattle will offer the first look at how Allen puts both decisions into practice.
