Column: Chicago Bears need DE Montez Sweat to regain top form — or the ‘Tez Effect’ will have been short

The “Tez Effect” has become difficult to distinguish for the Chicago Bears defense this season, which should be a growing concern.

That’s the term former coach Matt Eberflus used to describe the impact defensive end Montez Sweat had after the club acquired him at the trade deadline in 2023. General manager Ryan Poles referred to Sweat as a “multiplier.”

Both descriptions are apt for a player who is so dominant he piles up statistics while raising the play level of those around him. They were worthy ways to characterize Sweat’s presence in the second half of that ’23 season. It looked like a deadline deal gone right for the organization.

Now, with the Bears (2-2) headed to face Sweat’s former team, the Washington Commanders (3-2), on Monday night at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., it