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Remember when Washington defensive end Montez Sweat said he and Chase Young would break the single-season sack record by teammates in 2021?
In retrospect, that “promise” seems silly, as the pair combined for a total of 5.5 sacks in 17 total games in 2021. Sweat fractured his jaw in a Week 8 loss to the Broncos and spent several weeks on injured reserve. Young tore his ACL in a Week 10 win over the Buccaneers and was lost for the season.
But there’s no denying Sweat and Young’s talents on the field. And, after missing five games, Sweat is ready to return for Washington’s Week 15 game at Philadelphia.
On Saturday, Rivera was asked how much Washington could expect from Sweat after missing so much time and spending the past week on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Rivera didn’t hesitate with his response.
“A lot,” Rivera answered.
“I mean, it was evident today in watching him move around that he kept himself in pretty good shape. He handled practice very well. He really did. So, it’s exciting to watch him run around and being Montez again. It’ll spill over to the guys around him; I believe, because he’s a high-energy, high-impact guy.”
Even more good news for Washington is the return of fellow defensive ends James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill from the COVID list. That means there will not be as much pressure on Sweat to play most snaps in his return. Smith-Williams and Toohill started at defensive end for the WFT while both Sweat and Young were out.
Washington still isn’t out of the woods yet. Rivera doesn’t know who will start at quarterback Tuesday. But, things are trending in a more positive direction for Washington after a rough week.