It’s understandable why he feels this way. Sweat’s comments were about his experiences prior to the team’s recent changes. He wasn’t around to see the Commanders under their new leadership, with general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. Last October, Sweat was traded to the Bears in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Sweat described his time with Washington as “toxic” and mentioned the negative impact of a losing culture where losing seemed to be accepted by those around him. “It could sometimes rub off on you,” he said. “You’ve gotta stay hungry and know that you want to win.
During his five seasons with Washington (2019-2023), the team underwent several name changes: Redskins, Football Team, and Commanders. Owner Daniel Snyder frequently made headlines for the wrong reasons, contributing to a troubled team environment.
The team’s performance during these years was inconsistent: 3-13 in 2019, 7-9 in 2020, 7-10 in 2021, 8-8-1 in 2022, and 4-13 in 2023. Snyder’s influence even extended to the draft. In 2019, despite thorough preparation, Snyder insisted on selecting Dwayne Haskins 15th overall, even though he wasn’t projected as a first-round pick. This decision led to a contentious atmosphere and prompted the Commanders to trade up in the first round to pick Sweat 26th overall. This trade cost Washington two second-round picks, which they sent to the Colts.
Sweat, standing at 6-6 and weighing 262 pounds, was in the final year of his contract with Washington and signed a four-year extension with the Bears following his trade. In his time with Washington, he recorded 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits in eight games. With the Bears, he tallied 6.0 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and 14 QB hits in nine games.
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