The Green Bay Packers may look built for a serious run, but Brian Gutekunst wants no part of the latest chatter tying them to Josh Sweat.
Rumors have been floating around that Green Bay was exploring a trade for the Arizona Cardinals linebacker, yet the Packers general manager shut that down quickly, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
“Somebody’s making stuff up,” said Gutekunst.
That denial comes as Green Bay has spent the offseason trying to strengthen a defense that already got a boost from the additions of linebacker Zaire Franklin and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. The Packers still have defensive end Micah Parsons sidelined with a knee injury, so the focus on adding help up front has been easy to understand.
Sweat would be an expensive name to chase anyway. Arizona signed him last year to a four-year deal worth $76.4 million, and he rewarded that investment with a strong first season in the desert. He finished with 30 total tackles, a career-high 12 sacks and a career-high four forced fumbles.
Given that production, a trade from the Cardinals would not make much sense. The buzz around Sweat appears to have come from his connection to Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
The two worked together for several years with the Philadelphia Eagles, where Sweat broke through as a Pro Bowler in 2021. They were also part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2024.
For now, though, Gutekunst’s message is clear: the trade talk is noise.
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