Josh Sweat gave the Arizona Cardinals exactly what they paid for on the field in 2025. The problem is everything around him looks a lot messier, and that’s the kind of situation Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys should be watching closely.
Sweat signed a four-year, $76.4 million deal with Arizona, but he skipped the team’s voluntary offseason program and showed up only for mandatory minicamp to avoid fines. Even then, he didn’t take part in on-field work. Reporters have pointed to an organizational disagreement as the source of the tension, and it comes after Sweat turned in a career year with 12 sacks.
That production matters. Sweat also posted 30 tackles while playing in all 17 games, and he did it after winning a championship ring at Super Bowl LIX. For Arizona, it was one of the few real bright spots on a defense that finished tied for the third-fewest sacks in the league.
The frustration appears to trace back to the coaching change. Jonathan Gannon, who coached Sweat in Philly and helped bring him to Arizona, was fired in January after the Cardinals’ 4-13 season. Sweat is now working under a new staff he didn’t choose.
NFLTradeRumors’ Logan Ulrich summed up the situation last month, writing, "There's no shortage of reasons for him to be frustrated with the Cardinals right now, and the rest of the league knows it."
That’s where Dallas comes in. The Cowboys’ edge group remains unproven, with Rashan Gary failing to top 7.5 sacks in either of the last two seasons, Malachi Lawrence and Donovan Ezeiruaku still raw, and Sam Williams still developing.
There’s also a contract wrinkle that makes this worth monitoring. Sweat has no guaranteed money left after this season, and if Arizona slips out of the playoff picture, the Nov. 3 trade deadline could become a real factor. If that happens, Jones would be wise to be ready.
In Other News...
Seahawks Sale Just Took A Stunning Turn 49ers Fans Will Notice
The 49ers are giving fans a full look at training camp this summer, with 11 open practices on the schedule, but the bigger offseason conversation around the Bay Area is happening far from the field. San Francisco has also drawn attention for a few football-related storylines, including the rise of linebackers coach K.J. Wright in the coaching conversation and a changing pecking order at left tackle, where Trent Williams is no longer sitting alone at the top of the leagues rankings.
What makes the backdrop even more unusual is the business side of the picture, where one of the franchises minority ownership groups is now tied to a potential move that would reshape the NFC West landscape. Any such deal would require a clean break from the 49ers ownership structure, and that is the part that has the rest of the division watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Still Have Something To Prove Up Front In NFC West
The NFC West enters the 2026 season with a clear pecking order up front, and Arizona is still trying to climb it. Seattle brings back all five starters from its Super Bowl-winning line, San Francisco has key pieces back after its contract issues were settled, and the Rams still lean on strong interior play even if the tackle spots remain a question. The Cardinals, by contrast, are getting better, but they are still very much a rebuilding unit when compared with the divisions top groups.
There is reason for optimism in Arizona, starting with Paris Johnson Jr. developing into a franchise left tackle and the recent addition of Chase Bisontis, whom the team drafted in the early second round to start at right guard. Even so, the bigger picture is unchanged: the Cardinals have made progress, but they still have something to prove before they can be mentioned alongside the Seahawks and 49ers as one of the NFC Wests most complete lines. [Read more 🡒]