Get ready for some serious shake-ups in the NFL, because as the November 10 trade deadline gets closer, names are flying around. One name heating up faster than a Seattle summer day is Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat. ESPN is reporting that teams are hitting up the Cardinals, sniffing around Sweat, and honestly, can you blame them? Arizona is sitting at a rough 2-5, dead last in the NFC West heading into Week 8, and they are definitely looking like sellers. They already shipped off former first-round wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans, and it looks like Sweat could be the next veteran heading out of town in exchange for some sweet draft capital.
Sweat’s Shaky Situation in Arizona
This isn’t exactly a new development for Sweat. The guy reportedly asked for a trade last offseason! Why? After his former defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, Jonathan Gannon, was fired as the Cardinals’ head coach, Sweat apparently wanted out. The front office shut that down back then, but with the team circling a last-place finish in 2026, you gotta wonder if their sentiment has done a complete 180. Sweat, at 29 years old, signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with Arizona in 2025. He’s technically under contract through 2028, but here is the kicker: he has zero guaranteed salary after this 2026 campaign, according to Over The Cap. That makes moving him a whole lot easier for a team looking to rebuild and clear the books. Before joining the Cardinals, Sweat spent seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where they drafted him in the fourth round back in 2018. He even made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and helped Philly win Super Bowl LIX, putting up 2.5 sacks in that championship game against Kansas City.
Sack Numbers and Defensive Woes
So, what’s Sweat’s production looking like? In his first season with Arizona in 2025, he absolutely balled out, racking up a career-high 12 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. This season, through seven games, he has two sacks, four quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss. Those numbers are a significant dip, but a fresh start on a contender could easily ignite that Pro Bowl form again. Teams are clearly hoping for that spark, especially those desperate for defensive help.
One team making some noise in this rumor mill is none other than the Dallas Cowboys. ESPN specifically mentioned them as a team to watch in the race for Sweat. Jerry Jones has been doing his thing over the last year, trying to juice up that defense. We just saw him trade for Steelers corner Joey Porter Jr. and now, are they really about to double down? They need it. Heading into Week 8, Dallas’s defense is struggling big time: they are tied for the third-most total yards allowed per game at 373.7, and are giving up the second-most rushing yards per game with a staggering 145.7. It gets worse: they’re dead last in opponent third-down conversion rate at 52%, and 30th in takeaways with only four. When it comes to rushing the passer, the Cowboys are tied for the fourth-fewest sacks in the entire league and are bottom-10 in pressures. Yeah, they need a guy like Sweat, bad. The Green Bay Packers were also mentioned as a potential landing spot, but with the details on the Cowboys’ defensive struggles, you can see why they’d be all in.
Will Sweat be donning new colors soon? With that Nov. 10 deadline looming, and the Cardinals already moving pieces, it feels like only a matter of time. Get ready for some fireworks, this trade market is heating up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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