For all the talk about the Patriots needing to swing big for a veteran pass rusher, Josh Sweat keeps showing up as the kind of name that looks appealing on paper and messy in real life.
He’s the splashier option in a market that also includes unsigned veterans like Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, and the attraction is obvious. Sweat just put up 12 sacks last season, the kind of production New England could use from a defense that’s viewed as weakest up front heading into 2026.
But the fit comes with baggage.
Sweat was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list before training camp, and there’s no clear timeline for when he’ll be able to get back on the field. That alone makes any trade more complicated. Add in the contract, and the price climbs fast: the Patriots would have to give up significant draft capital to Arizona while taking on a $76 million deal.
The bigger issue, though, is the noise around him.
Sweat has continued to voice his frustration with the Cardinals after posting one of the best statistical seasons of his eight-year career, and he’s made it clear he wants to be elsewhere. That’s a sharp turn for a player who signed a major contract just one year ago, especially since he chose that deal himself. But after the head coach he played for in 2025 was fired, his willingness to stay in Arizona appears to have vanished.
If the Cardinals decide to move him, they may not be doing Sweat any favors by sending him to a destination he prefers. New England could be in that mix even with its contender status, and that’s exactly where the Patriots would risk inheriting the same attitude and drama that have followed him all offseason.
That’s the kind of headache Eliot Wolf and the Patriots probably don’t need.
Instead, they may be better off looking at the players still on the market. Van Noy stands out in particular, since he’s already had two separate stints with New England. He isn’t Maxx Crosby, but he’s coming off some of the best seasons of his career and would give the Patriots an immediate lift.
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Will Campbell Just Brought Unexpected Attention To Patriots Camp
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The buzz this time has nothing to do with a block, a practice rep or a depth-chart update. A viral video from camp put Campbell in the spotlight for an entirely different reason, and while it does not change the bigger football picture, it has added an unexpected layer of attention to a player the Patriots are counting on to stabilize one of the most important spots on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Roster Cut Just Put More Pressure On One Position Group
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Reeses departure also leaves the linebacker room a bit more crowded in terms of attention, with eight players now listed at the position. For a team still shaping the back end of the roster, that kind of number can make every rep and every preseason decision matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]