The Arizona Cardinals are still taking the patient route with Josh Sweat, and the latest update doesn’t change that.
Sweat remains on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list, but first-year head coach Mike LaFleur did offer a positive sign. According to Cardinals insider Tyler Drake, LaFleur said Sweat is “continuing to build” as he works through his recovery. Even with that progress, LaFleur made it clear there is still no firm timeline for Sweat’s return, or for any of the other Cardinals players currently on the PUP list.
That leaves Sweat as one of the biggest training camp storylines in Arizona. LaFleur had previously described the designation as part of a knee maintenance plan, and the team still appears committed to playing the long game with one of its most important defenders.
Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat is “continuing to build” on the PUP list, says Mike LaFleur.
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) August 2, 2026
The head coach added there is currently no timeline for any of the players on the PUP list.
Something (still) to watch. pic.twitter.com/YyWohVrLYZ
The Cardinals do have flexibility here. Sweat can be activated from the active/PUP list at any point before final roster cuts. For now, though, the message is straightforward: Arizona would rather manage his health carefully than push him back too soon.
That caution makes sense given what Sweat meant to the defense last season. Drafted in 2018 out of Florida State, he has grown into one of the league’s most productive edge rushers. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX championship run.
Sweat signed with Arizona in free agency before the 2025 season and delivered immediately. He started all 17 games, set career highs with 12.0 sacks and four forced fumbles, earned Pro Bowl alternate recognition, and quickly became the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ pass rush.
In Other News...
Cardinals Backup QB Battle Could Get Complicated Faster Than Expected
Jacoby Brissett is set to open as the Cardinals quarterback through 2026, which gives Arizona a clear top of the depth chart for now. Behind him, though, the backup picture is already worth watching. Gardner Minshew currently sits in that spot, with rookie Carson Beck lined up behind him, giving the team a mix of experience and upside as it sorts through its long-term plans at the position.
The bigger question comes after the season, when the Cardinals will have to decide how Beck fits into the picture going forward. His future role is still tied to how he develops and how much playing time he can get, and that makes the backup battle more than just a routine training-camp storyline. If Beck starts closing the gap, Arizona could be staring at a much more complicated quarterback conversation sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Larry Fitzgerald Finally Gets His Moment On Footballs Biggest Stage
Larry Fitzgerald is finally headed to Canton, a fitting stop for one of the most respected players of his generation and one of the most accomplished figures in Cardinals history. He will join Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio, with Fitzgerald and Brees going in on the first ballot and Craig earning his place through the senior committee.
For Arizona fans, Fitzgeralds selection feels like a long-awaited celebration of a career built on production, durability and dignity. The Class of 2026 also carried some notable omissions, with coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft not making the cut, but the spotlight in Canton will still belong to a receiver whose legacy has been obvious for years even before the Hall of Fame made it official. [Read more 🡒]