Sources - Bears trading for Commanders' Montez Sweat - ESPN

The Commanders and Bears have agreed to a trade that will send defensive end Montez Sweat to Chicago for a 2024 second-round pick, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

Sweat, 27, is in the last year of his contract, and the Commanders are opting for a draft pick now rather than a compensatory selection they might receive if Sweat signed elsewhere as a free agent next year.

The news of the trade comes hours after sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that the Bears granted cornerback Jaylon Johnson permission to seek a trade. Johnson, 24, is in the final year of his rookie contract and said he is looking for «respect and security» in the form of a new deal.

The trade injects talent into Chicago's league-worst pass rush at the halfway point of the season. The Bears replaced three of their four starters along the defensive line ahead of the 2023 season in free agency and spent second- and third-round draft picks on defensive tackles Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens. The Bears have an NFL-low 10 sacks this season and 46 pressures, which ranks 30th.

Through eight games, Sweat has 6.5 sacks, bringing his career total to 35.5 over five seasons.

Chicago's 2024 second-round selection is currently the No. 35 pick in the draft. At the trade deadline in 2022, the Bears sent their own second-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for wide receiver Chase Claypool, who played in 10 games in Chicago. The Bears dealt Claypool to the Miami Dolphins after beating Washington in Week 5.

For the Commanders, the move is a nod to their losing record and the difficulty of keeping their defensive line intact. Sweat and defensive end Chase Young are both free agents after this season. Washington already has given out big contracts to