LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears’ pass rush, or lack of it, has been a primary topic all season.

When the defensive line was fully healthy, creating pressure was never guaranteed. And the team’s pass-rush problem has only become more difficult to solve with Chicago down three defensive linemen. Shemar Turner (ACL) and Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles) are done for the season, and Dominique Robinson is still recovering from an ankle injury he sustained on the opening kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens.

Before the NFL’s Tuesday trade deadline, general manager Ryan Poles acquired Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and a seventh-round draft pick from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The move adds depth to a D-line that desperately needed it, but that’s just a Band-Aid for the issue. The Bears must look internally at what is already on the roster, and Montez Sweat is the realistic solution.

[READ: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka shares thoughts on NFL trade-deadline deal to Bears]

Over the last four games, Sweat has generated three sacks, 14 total pressures and forced three fumbles. This stretch from Sweat has been the most consistent aspect of the Bears’ pass rush all season, and it’s coming at a time when the defense desperately needed it, considering the recent injuries.

For defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, it’s been encouraging to see Sweat finish plays, but Allen knows there is still more that Sweat can do for this defense.

“It’s good to see him get the stats to go along with that,” Allen said. “A lot of times, there’s some hidden production but that’s been nice to see. I think he’s winning a little bit more and I think he’s starting to get a feel for and accustomed to how we’re going to play some of the things that we’re asking him to do, how we want to play against the run, how we want to be able to rush the passer and I still think there’s a lot of meat left on the bone in terms of what we can get out of that.”

On Wednesday, Poles highlighted Sweat’s stamina and “ability to play faster, harder, longer” as factors that have contributed to his recent success. Allen pointed to Sweat’s work ethic and consistency. Regardless of the reason, Sweat has been making his presence felt off he edge, and he must continue that type of play for the Bears’ pass rush to have a realistic shot of impacting opposing quarterbacks.

“I think when you start to feel that success and you feel some of those results, like, there’s kind of a hunger to get back out there and produce again,” Allen said. “So, I think it’s a combination of him just coming out here and working every single day. He’s gotten a lot better, and I think he’s starting to see the results of that and I think he’s feeding off that more.”

Monangai comparison

Before Eric Bieniemy started coaching running backs, he was one himself. He played at the University of Colorado and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers with the No. 38 overall pick in the second round. At 5-foot-7, 205 pounds, Bieniemy is nearly the same size as Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai (5-foot-8, 207).

Bieniemy was asked if he sees similarities in the styles between him and Monangai. Bieniemy did have someone in mind for a comparison.

“When I first had an opportunity to watch Kyle, he reminded me of someone, not myself,” Bieniemy said. “Reminds me of Kareem Hunt, and watching him and studying him on tape, going back to my days of reviewing tape on Kareem, those two are very, very similar. That’s the person that I see. Now, he has a lot to live up to because Kareem has had an outstanding career, but the kid takes a tremendous amount of pride in the little things, so that’s important. Now we just got to continue to grow.”

[READ: Darnell Wright, Theo Benedet analyze their pancake blocks from Week 9 win]

Monangai showed what he was capable of as a starter, rushing for 176 yards on 26 carries. He also added three receptions for 22 yards as a pass catcher.

“I told him, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Bieniemy said. “We have the sand that I talk about each and every week. We want to make sure that we’re going out there and introducing ourselves. People need to know who we are, and what I mean by that, you got to physically fall foward but on top of that, you got to find a way to finish runs. We have a thing, find four and a half. Anything after that is a bonus. …”

Special team fixes

Other than the Bears’ defensive unit, special teams couldn’t have been happier about the outcome of last Sunday’s 47-42 victory over the Bengals. Especially since the Bears’ third phase nearly lost the game for Chicago.

It started with a 98-yard kick return touchdown by the Bengals. Cairo Santos also had a 47-yard field goal blocked at the end of the second quarter. There was a holding penalty and an illegal formation on kick return. And, of course, the Bengals recovered an onside kick with 1:42 left in the second quarter that helped the Bengals take a 42-41 lead with just under a minute left in the game.

Those mistakes almost cost the Bears their fifth win of the season, but Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland‘s heroics saved the day. Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower shared the message he told his unit.

[READ: Bears practice report: Colston Loveland gets slimed after monster game]

“Message to the group is, ‘Hey guys, obviously that is not our best brand of football and I take responsibility for it,’” Hightower said. “That is what I told the group. Obviously, they look in the mirror and take responsibility for what they do but I tell them, I take responsibility for it and there’s gotta be better. But – guess what guys? – we found a way to win. We’ve found a way to win several different ways this year and going forward if we want to be the team that we want to be, we’ve got to get those things cleaned up.”

On the kickoff return for a touchdown, the ball location was wrong from Santos. Hightower said the lane integrity was “out of whack,” and when that happened, a big lane formed. Hightower shared that adjustments were made after the kick return, and he credited the group’s resolve in the second half.

For the onside kick, backup defensive end Daniel Hardy‘s leg touched the ball. His rule as a man on the frontline is to immediately go and block his man and get out of the way.

Richard Hightower on what Daniel Hardy needs to be aware of on the onside kick.

“Yeah, so what the rule for those guys that are blocking on the frontline is they need to go right now. If you look at Noah (Sewell) on that play, he did exactly what he is supposed to do. He… pic.twitter.com/VgOfgAGsdO

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) November 6, 2025

The litany of mistakes was a reminder that any lapses in detail can be exploited at any moment. The Bears’ special teams unit will be under the microscope this Sunday at Soldier Field against the New York Giants.

Roster update

The Bears officially activated veteran linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga from the injured reserve. Ogbongbemiga is in his second season with the Bears and has played a primarily role on special teams.

Hightower shared what the veteran defensive player adds on the special teams unit.

“If he’s available, what it brings to us is a leader, a veteran presence, the No. 1 productive special team player we had in our room last year,” Hightower said. “We missed him nearly, OK, but it’s next man up. OK? So if we do get him, that will be phenomenal.”

Bears trending up

In the Bears’ latest injury report on Thursday, the list of full participants increased to six, four more than what was initially listed on Wednesday. Grady Jarrett, Cole Kmet, Monangai and D’Andre Swift were all upgraded from limited to full on Thursday, a positive sign for some key starters on offense and the defensive line.

Receivers DJ Moore (hip/groin) and Rome Odunze (ankle/heel) and safety Kevin Byard III (back/ankle) were limited on Thursday, but made progress after initially not practicing on Wednesday.

The players to monitor are Josh Blackwell (concussion), T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) and Dominique Robinson (ankle), who all missed practice for the second time this week. If Edwards misses Sunday’s game against the Giants, expect Noah Sewell to fill in his place.

Here’s the full Bears participation report: