Shaquan Montez Sweat (born September 4, 1996) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
for the
Chicago Bears of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football at
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
,
Copiah–Lincoln, and
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
before being drafted by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in the first round of the
2019 NFL Draft. Sweat was traded to the Bears mid-way through the 2023 season.
Early life and college
Sweat attended
Stephenson High School in
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,703 according to the 2020 US Census. Stone Mountain is in the eastern part of DeKalb County and is a suburb of Atlanta that encompasses nearly 1.7 square mil ...
, where he was rated as one of the top
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
s in the country. Sweat committed to
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
to play
college football, where he played in two games for them in 2014, recording one sack, before
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after ...
ing in 2015. He left Michigan State in 2016 and enrolled at the
Copiah–Lincoln Community College in Mississippi, where he also played for their football team.
In 2017, he left again to play for the
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State Bulldogs is the name given to the athletic teams of Mississippi State University, in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The university is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I.
Sports sp ...
.
In his first season at Mississippi State, Sweat registered 10.5 sacks and was named to the
2017 All-SEC football team. He then followed up by recording 12 sacks as a senior in 2018, making the
2018 All-SEC football team and being named an
All-American.
College statistics
Professional career
Washington Redskins / Football Team / Commanders
2019
At the 2019
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foo ...
, Montez set a combine record for a defensive lineman running the
40 yard dash at 4.41 seconds. At the same time, Sweat was diagnosed with
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at his combine health physical. However, it was soon discovered to have been a misdiagnosis due to an improper measuring of his heart.
Sweat was eventually selected by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in the first round, 26th overall, of the
2019 NFL Draft. The team traded back up into the first round to select him after using their original pick on
Dwayne Haskins
Dwayne Haskins Jr. (May 3, 1997 – April 9, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played college football at Ohio State, where he set the Big Ten Conference records fo ...
.
He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 29, 2019, worth $11.6 million, including a $6.4 million signing bonus. In Week 3 against the
Chicago Bears on ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, A ...
'', Sweat recorded his first career sack in a 31–15 loss. In Week 17 against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, Sweat sacked
Dak Prescott
Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he twice received first-team All- SEC honors, a ...
twice, one of which that forced a fumble which was recovered, during a 47–16 loss.
2020
In a game against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
on
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
, Sweat intercepted a pass thrown by Dalton late in the fourth quarter and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown that led to a 41–16 Washington victory. The following week against the
Pittsburgh Steelers, Sweat tipped a pass late in the fourth quarter that led to an interception by
Jon Bostic
Jonathan Earl Bostic II (born May 5, 1991) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Bostic has also been a mem ...
to help secure a 23–17 win over the then-undefeated Steelers. In Week 15 Sweat batted a pass by
Seattle Seahawks quarterback
Russell Wilson which was then intercepted by
Daron Payne
Daron Payne ( ; born May 27, 1997) is an American football defensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he won the 2018 College Football Playoff National Champi ...
.
2021
Sweat suffered a jaw fracture during a Week 8 game against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
and was placed on
injured reserve. After testing positive, he was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on December 8, 2021. On December 18, he was taken off the COVID-19 list and placed back on the active roster two days later. In the Week 15 against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, Sweat recorded a sack and forced a fumble, which was recovered by
Landon Collins
Landon Alexander Collins (born January 10, 1994) is an American football safety and linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was a part of the team that won the 201 ...
, on quarterback
Jalen Hurts
Jalen Alexander Hurts (born August 7, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played his first three seasons of college football at Alabama, where he was part of the team ...
.
2022
On April 27, 2022, the Commanders exercised the fifth-year option in Sweat's contract. In Week 5, Sweat accounted for two of the five sacks the Commanders' had against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
. He contributed another two sack performance against the
Houston Texans in Week 11.
Chicago Bears
2023
On October 31, 2023, Sweat was traded to the
Chicago Bears for a second-round pick in the
2024 NFL Draft
The 2024 NFL Draft will be the 89th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held in Detroit, Michigan.
Host city
Detroit was chosen as the host city on March 28, ...
. Four days later, he signed a four-year contract extension worth $98 million, including $72 million guaranteed.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Sweat was raised by his grandparents as a child. Both his mother and older brother died in 2021, the latter being killed at the age of 27 in a shooting in
Henrico County, Virginia. As a rookie, Sweat was featured in
Old Spice
Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.
Old Spice was launched as Early American Old Spice by W ...
television commercials.
In June 2021, Sweat expressed his disinterest in getting vaccinations against the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
virus and that he would forgo getting a
COVID-19 vaccine.
References
External links
Chicago Bears bioMississippi State Bulldogs bioCo–Lin Wolves bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweat, Montez
1996 births
21st-century African-American sportspeople
African-American players of American football
American football defensive ends
American football outside linebackers
Chicago Bears players
Copiah-Lincoln Wolfpack football players
Living people
Michigan State Spartans football players
Mississippi State Bulldogs football players
Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)
Washington Commanders players
Washington Football Team players
Washington Redskins players