Preseason finale week is typically reserved for roster-bubble drama and bottom-of-the-depth-chart battle chatter, but Green Bay was entirely gripped by a prospective blockbuster.
Beyond the obvious storyline of Mike LaFleur matching wits with his brother Matt, the Cardinals‘ $76 million edge defender Josh Sweat completely overtook the pre-game noise and trade wire.
While the two franchises spent the week sharing the practice field, the off-field focal point was Sweat’s return from the PUP list.
Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort has publicly maintained that his star pass rusher isn’t on the block, but with Green Bay aggressively scouting edge help, the door remains cracked for any team to make a call with an offer the Cardinals can’t resist.
What made the rumors even louder was top brass from both teams arriving early in Green Bay on Thursday.
Both Teams’ Top Brass Reached Early in Green Bay
According to a report from Packers insider Easton Butler, top executives from both sides arrived early, which is not typical for them, hinting at a potential discussion behind closed doors.
- Sweat coming off PUP this week isn’t coincidental. GB wanted to see how he performed.
- Several sources say the Cards eased up on what they reportedly want in compensation, now hearing a Player + Pick. (Previously was a 2nd).
- Cardinals top brass came to Green Bay EARLY and before the team. (They don’t come for joint practices)
- Packers brass got in EARLY today at Lambeau. (Last time they got in at a different time was for Micah Parsons) • Sweat wants Green Bay.
- Sweat was asked today when he will be a Packer, and he reportedly replied, “They (Arizona) won’t let me”
- IF TRADED, likely won’t be before cutdowns. (Micah was traded after cutdowns).
- His agent has been in Green Bay talking about Sweat to the Packers.
Taken individually, any one of these details could be dismissed as standard late-August smoke. But stacked together—the rare executive presence, the timing of the PUP activation, the altered trade parameters, and Sweat’s own pointed exchange with reporters—the trail leads directly to a front office actively exploring its options.
What remains is navigating the calendar, as the timing of final cutdowns creates a specific window for how this deal would actually take shape.
The Trade Might Take Longer Than Expected
The Cardinals are, in no way, in a hurry to trade Sweat. Ossenfort holds the leverage, and holding out until after 53-man roster cuts allows Arizona to push for a player-plus-pick rather than settling for a standalone selection.
Waiting also gives the Cardinals’ front office room to let the market develop, as late-preseason injuries across the league frequently spark desperate, high-bid offers from edge-needy contenders.
Green Bay, however, has proven it is comfortable playing the long game in late-summer blockbusters, making a post-cutdown move a realistic timeline for both sides.
The driving force behind the Packers’ interest is defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Having coached Sweat during his tenure in Arizona, Gannon knows firsthand how to maximize the $76 million pass rusher—who posted one of the best statistical campaigns of his career under Gannon’s scheme.
With clear coaching familiarity on one side and calculated roster leverage on the other, all signs point to a front-office standoff that could stretch right up to final roster cutdowns.
Packers ‘In Early’ on Cardinals’ $76 Million Pro Bowler as Trade Rumors Heat Up