Montez Sweat suspended two games for violating NFL's PED policy
The Bears defensive end will miss games against the Falcons and Patriots after violating the league's substance policy, and Chicago has already turned to a rookie to fill the gap.
Why Montez Sweat is trending
Montez Sweat is trending because the Bears defensive end has been suspended for two games without pay for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing substances, according to ESPN's report published Oct. 13, 2026. The suspension knocks him out of Chicago's Week 6 game at the Atlanta Falcons and Week 7 game against the New England Patriots. He becomes eligible for reinstatement on Oct. 23.
The report does not specify which substance was involved or how the violation was discovered. Those details have not been made public.
Who fills the gap
The Bears did not wait around. On Tuesday they activated defensive end Shemar Turner off the physically unable to perform list, and he takes Sweat's roster spot. Turner, a 2025 second round pick, has been practicing since Sept. 23 after tearing his ACL on Oct. 26, 2025, an injury that limited him to five games as a rookie.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen set expectations low for Turner last week, saying it would be unrealistic to think a player coming off PUP could handle 50 to 70 plays right away. Allen said the plan is to work players like Turner in gradually rather than hand them a full workload. The group Turner joins is thin and currently led by Austin Booker, who has a team high four sacks.
The timing is rough. Two days before the suspension news, fellow defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo left the first half of Chicago's 31-7 loss at Green Bay with a quad injury and did not return. Bears coach Ben Johnson had no update on Odeyingbo's status as of Monday.
Sweat's season by the numbers
Through five games this season, Sweat has totaled seven tackles and two sacks. He was Chicago's sack leader a year ago with 10. The suspension cuts into a season that had already started slower than his 2025 production.
What happens next
Sweat sits out Weeks 6 and 7 and is eligible to be reinstated Oct. 23. Until then, the Bears lean on Turner, Booker and whoever is healthy at defensive end while they wait on word about Odeyingbo's quad.
Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.