Arizona Cardinals‘ 30-16 loss on Sunday had two real winners. The first was obviously the Denver Broncos taking care of business at home. The second was front-office execs in Dallas, who just watched the Cardinals slide to 2-5 and clear a path for the Cowboys to land Josh Sweat before the trade deadline.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler laid out just how hot the trade talks are linking Sweat to the Cowboys.
Josh Sweat to Cowboys Hottest Rumor on Trade Market
“The problem for the Cowboys, they do not have a lot of draft picks, but they are looking always for help. And there are pass rushers,” Fowler said on Sports Center, per Brendon Loree. “Let’s start with Josh Sweat in Arizona. I checked with a few league execs who said that Dallas and Josh Sweat would be a perfect profile fit. Arizona, sitting at 2-4, could try to acquire more draft capital. Edge rushers are a position to watch over the next few weeks.”
“One team that could explore the possibility of a Sweat trade is the Cowboys, who are trying to salvage their season Monday night in Philadelphia.”
The rumors come just weeks after the Cowboys acquired Joey Porter Jr. via trade. Most front offices fold their cards after emptying draft capital on a midseason splash, but Jerry Jones isn’t the one to shy away from aggressive moves.
Having already invested capital to fix the secondary, doubling down on the defense and bringing in Sweat to rescue the pass rush just makes sense. The Cowboys defense has particularly struggled with generating pressure and finishing plays against opposing quarterbacks.
Sweat solves those exact problems. And at the right price, they might convince Monti Ossenfort and the rest of the Cardinals too.
“Josh Sweat: The Arizona Cardinals have already shown they are willing to trade a player for the right price. In August, general manager Monti Ossenfort said the Cardinals were not interested in trading Sweat. But now the Cardinals are 2-4, and unless they turn it around, they could be willing to listen to meaningful offers,” Fowler added.
The financials, too, make sense for the Cowboys.
Sweat’s Contract With Cardinals Makes Him a Steal
“Sweat is in only the second year of a four-year free-agent contract he signed with the Cardinals in 2025,” The Athletic’s Daniel Popper explains. “But he signed that contract to join up with former Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, who was fired after last season. Sweat played for Gannon with the Eagles. The Cardinals would take on $18.3 million in dead money in 2027 if they trade Sweat before the deadline. Sweat got off to a slow start this season, but he was very impactful in the Cardinals’ Week 6 win over the Rams.”
Sweat signed a four-year, $76.4 million deal, with $41 million guaranteed when Arizona signed him out of Philadelphia. He has two full years remaining beyond 2026, giving an acquiring team multi-year control rather than a half-season rental.
A midseason trade means the Cowboys only absorb Sweat’s remaining base salary for the rest of 2026, which is a manageable pro-rated hit against their current cap space. His 2027 and 2028 base salaries sit at non-prohibitive levels for a starting edge anchor.
Cowboys Urged to Target Josh Sweat While Iron’s Still Hot After Cardinals’ Loss