The Washington Commanders ushered in a new era this past year, as changes needed to be made. After years of mediocrity, Washington posted a four-win season after beginning to strip down their roster.
Along the way, the team moved on from star defensive end Montez Sweat. He was traded midway through last season to the Chicago Bears, where he saw a change of culture. Sweat believes the trade "worked out better" for him in the end.
“I definitely made a transition to a better spot for me,” Sweat told the Chicago Sun-Times. “[Shoot], this was my first Pro Bowl and first double-digit sack year and all those types of things. I reached some accolades that I always had aspirations of getting, but never reached in Washington. You could definitely say it worked out better for me.”
Sweat continually talked about the trade after it happened, citing the better culture and praising the way Chicago operates as a franchise compared to Washington. Fortunately for the Commanders, new ownership has taken over and a staff reset has a new era coming for Washington.
Still, the 27-year-old defensive end believes he has grown as a leader since joining the Bears.
“I’ve grown into a leader,” Sweat said. “I used to always like to lead by example, but lately I’ve felt myself talking more, encouraging guys more and just being that vessel for those guys to get some confidence.”
While talking about the ability to grow as a player and a leader during his time with the Bears, the former Commanders star was sure to tear down Washington -- claiming the franchise was just fine with losing.
“It was a toxic, heavy toll, just losing and people around you being kinda OK with losing,” Sweat continued. “It could sometimes rub off on you. You’ve gotta stay hungry and know that you want to win.”
Washington hosts Sweat and the Bears during Week 8 in a game that will see the offensive line try to not let the defensive end get into the backfield, keeping rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' jersey clean.
Sweat spent four seasons with the Commanders, though he isn't very fond of his time with the organization, and it definitely seemed like the right move from both sides to move on.
