The Washington Commanders traded Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 second-round draft pick and Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-rounder, according to a person with knowledge of both moves.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because neither of the deals had been announced ahead of the 4 p.m. Eastern trade deadline.

Sending away their top two pass rushers signals a major shift for the Commanders under new ownership. Washington has lost five of six since to drop to 3-5 since starting the season with consecutive victories.

Sweat, 27, is in the final year of his rookie contract and looks primed for a big payday in free agency, whether it’s with the Bears or elsewhere. In Sweat, Chicago gets a disruptive defender with a pattern of consistent production. He has 6 1/2 sacks this season and 35 1/2 to go along with 197 tackles since Washington drafted him in the first round in 2019.

Sweat won’t be part of the future in Washington after the front office already committed big money to defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

Neither will Young, the 2020 No. 2 pick and Defensive Rookie of the Year who at one time was considered the face of the franchise.

After a 38-31 loss Sunday to Philadelphia, Sweat and Young were asked repeatedly about the possibility this was their last game together. Sweat said his agent was keeping him abreast of any trade talks.

“Anything can happen, but I can only control what I can,” Sweat said. “Yeah, that thought goes across your mind, but you hate to think like that.”

Coach Ron Rivera, in his fourth season in charge of Washington’s football operations, refused Monday to discuss anything related to the trade deadline, including hypothetically who would step into a starting role of Sweat or Young were no longer around. That figures to be veteran Casey Toohill, who has four sacks this season.

CARDINALS-VIKINGS: Minnesota agreed to acquire quarterback Joshua Dobbs in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals in the hours before the NFL trade deadline, adding another player with starting experience following the season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins.

The deal was pending completion of a physical for Dobbs, who was acquired on Aug. 24 by the Cardinals in a trade with Cleveland. The Vikings will send a 2024 sixth-round draft pick to the Cardinals and receive a conditional 2024 seventh-rounder with Dobbs in return.

Dobbs, who was a fourth-round draft pick out of Tennessee in 2017 by Pittsburgh, will join his seventh team in seven seasons. The 28-year-old started all eight games for the Cardinals, as a fill-in while Kyler Murray recovers from a knee injury. Murray’s return is imminent after his return to practice on Oct. 18, which was part of the reason why Dobbs was expendable.

BROWNS-LIONS: Cleveland traded wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to Detroit for a sixth-round draft pick in 2025.

Peoples-Jones had 61 receptions last season, but he’s had a much lesser role in 2023 – his final year under contract. The former Michigan standout and Detroit native – a sixth-round pick by Cleveland in 2020 – has just eight receptions for 97 yards in seven games.

PATRIOTS: Kendrick Bourne took to social media to thank fans for “all the prayers” after the news that he’s done for the season.

The New England Patriots receiver left Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins with a knee injury, with reports later confirming that he’d suffered a season-ending ACL tear.

In a message posted to X (previously Twitter), Bourne said that his focus is now on rehab.

“Thank you guys for all the prayers! God has a plan for me! And I’m going to attack rehab!” Bourne wrote.

Bourne was the Patriots’ leading receiver through eight games this season, catching 37 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns.
The 28-year-old Bourne is in his third season in New England and has shown to be one of the offense’s most dynamic playmakers when he’s on.

With Bourne out, the Patriots will have to turn elsewhere to find production on offense. Currently, rookie Pop Douglas ranks second among Patriots receivers with 19 receptions for 222 yards. The team also has veterans DeVanter Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster, who have been slow to get going this season.

BILLS: Buffalo replenished its running back depth by signing Leonard Fournette to their practice squad.

Fournette, a six-year NFL veteran, has been out of football since being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. The 28-year-old fills a spot left open when the Bills signed running back Ty Johnson to their active roster after Damien Harris (neck) was placed on injured reserve 10 days ago.

In a corresponding move, the Bills released defensive tackle Kendal Vickers.

 

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