Commanders Trade Star Defender Days Before Facing Patriots

The Patriots offense won’t have to deal with Montez Sweat on Sunday.

The Commanders on Tuesday traded the star edge rusher to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 second-round pick, according to multiple reports. Washington will visit New England on Sunday for a Week 9 matchup between two of the NFL’s worst teams.

Sweat, a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was one of the Commanders’ best defensive players. He racked up 35.5 sacks over his four-plus campaigns in Washington, including 6.5 sacks in eight games this season.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the Sweat deal creates a domino effect for other pass rushers on the trade block. The Patriots have one in Josh Uche, who reportedly is the player they’re most likely to deal before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

You can click here to monitor all trade rumors involving the Patriots as the 4 p.m. ET deadline approaches.