It’s trade deadline season in the NFL, and the rumor mill is already rolling. Teams are sorting themselves into buyers and sellers, and edge rusher Josh Sweat is one of the names drawing real attention.
Sweat landed in Arizona on a four-year, $76 million deal last May and put together a big 2025 season, finishing with career highs in sacks (12) and forced fumbles (4). But the Cardinals’ year went sideways after a 3-14 finish, leading to the firing of coach Jonathan Gannon, who had been Sweat’s defensive coordinator with the Eagles, and the hiring of Mike LaFleur. Sweat skipped Arizona’s offseason program this spring, was part of trade chatter before camp, and then opened training camp on the PUP list because of a knee injury.
He has been on the field for all seven games this season, posting 16 total tackles, two sacks, 17 pressures and an 11.2% pressure rate. Still, with the Cardinals sitting at 3-5 and last in the NFC West, the possibility remains that Arizona will listen again if the right offer comes along. PHNX Sports’s Johnny Venerable reported that the team is aware of Sweat’s market and is “believed to be seeking a high Day 2 pick for the veteran pass rusher.”
If Arizona does move him, three teams stand out.
Buffalo checks a lot of boxes. The Bills are 6-1 after beating the Ravens on Sunday, and the offense has been humming.
The defense, though, has been a different story, especially up front. Heading into Week 8, Buffalo had allowed the second-most yards per game in the league at 386.8 and the third-most points per game at 28.7.
Its pressure rate sat at just 30.0%, second-lowest in the NFL behind only the Colts. Gregory Rousseau has been the bright spot, leading the front seven with six sacks in a breakout year, but he could use help on the other side.
Sweat would give the Bills another proven pass rusher in a defense that’s trying to get over the top and win a Super Bowl.
Dallas is another team worth watching. ESPN’s Adam Schefter called the Cowboys “a team to watch” as interest in Sweat continues to build, and Jerry Jones has never been shy about making a move.
The Cowboys got a firsthand look at Sweat on Sunday when Arizona stunned them 33-30 at AT&T Stadium. Dallas forced the Cardinals to switch from Jacoby Brissett to Gardner Minshew and finished with five sacks, but the broader numbers still point to a pass rush that has been merely average.
Through seven games, the Cowboys had only 10 sacks, fifth-fewest in the NFL, and a 32.8% pressure rate, ninth-lowest in football. At 3-5, they’re still alive in the NFC race, and Sweat would help patch one of the biggest holes on the roster.
Kansas City rounds out the list. The Chiefs are always willing to reshape the roster if it helps their title push, and after failing to sack Sam Darnold in their loss to Seattle last Sunday, another edge presence makes sense.
Heading into Week 8, Kansas City had produced the sixth-fewest quarterback pressures in the league with 81, along with the 14th-lowest pressure rate at 34.5%. The result has been a sack rate of 3.4%, third-lowest in the NFL, and just eight total sacks, tied for second-fewest.
Rookie R Mason Thomas has been solid with a pressure rate of 18.0% on 128 pass rush snaps, George Karlaftis remains dependable, and Chris Jones has been sub-par to begin 2026. DC Steve Spanguolo likes to mix things up, and Sweat would give him another versatile piece to work with on the defensive front.
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The fit question is what makes this one worth monitoring from here. Teams such as the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills have been mentioned as possible destinations, and the Cowboys have also come up in the conversation, with needs and coaching ties both part of the calculus. For the Cardinals, the decision is less about whether Sweat can help and more about whether the timing and the return make sense for a team still trying to sort out its direction. [Read more 🡒]