NFL Trade Rumors
There’s been persistent trade chatter around Cardinals OLB Josh Sweat this offseason. Fresh off the second double-digit sack season of his career, Sweat didn’t attend any of the voluntary work this spring, reportedly because he wasn’t happy with Arizona. He was in town for minicamp, but seemingly just to avoid the fines, as he didn’t participate in any on-field work.
The exact source of Sweat’s discontent hasn’t been revealed. There’s no shortage of reasons for him to be frustrated with the Cardinals right now, and the rest of the league knows it. Other teams have been poking around and the trade speculation built up to a point that the team felt like it had to put out the fire.
Even if a deal isn’t right around the corner, though, there’s too much smoke to ignore here. Even though the Cardinals just signed Sweat to a big deal a year ago, they are much further away from competing than they believed at the time. It doesn’t make sense for them to rule out trading Sweat, especially if he’s not a happy camper and especially because of the demand for pass rushers around the league.
Given what seems like an arms race from a few teams, especially in the NFC West, Arizona’s division, there should be a strong demand for pass rushers that continues through the summer and into the fall ahead of the NFL’s midseason trade deadline. That’s a proven way for teams to give themselves a jolt, as it’s far easier to onboard a pass rusher who has a thinner playbook and fewer responsibilities than, for example, a receiver.
It also helps that Sweat is coming off the best season of his career, pulling down 12 sacks for an otherwise poor Cardinals defense. He set a new career best with four forced fumbles and ranked ninth among NFL edge rushers in pass rush win rate. Sweat had a good case for the Pro Bowl but was snubbed on the ballot, another thing he wasn’t happy about in his first year in the desert.
Sweat’s age will be a limiting factor on his trade value, as he just turned 29. That’s not decrepit by any means but there is more risk for an acquiring team when it comes to injuries or general decline. Conversely, that could be a factor that makes the Cardinals more willing to part with Sweat despite only signing him last offseason.
While the Cardinals have already paid a significant chunk of Sweat’s contract this year, paying out $7.2 million of his $18 million total compensation as an option bonus in March, there is a decent chance that Sweat would push for a new contract as part of a trade. He signed for $19.1 million a year which now ranks 23rd at the position. If he stays on his original contract, he’s only due $10.8 million in 2026 with no guarantees past this season. If he demands a reworked deal, it will likely weigh...
