It’s no secret that Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat could be traded this offseason. He’s currently in the midst of a holdout, which comes amid reports that Arizona is receiving trade calls on him.
One team that has consistently popped up during those trade rumors has been the Green Bay Packers. That began on Monday when 247 Packers reporter Easton Butler shared that there was interest in a trade for Sweat.
“Hearing the Packers and Cardinals are working on a trade involving Josh Sweat, per source. It is coming down to how much cap the Packers are willing to take, and how high of a pick,” Butler wrote.
It wasn’t long before the Cardinals had some water thrown on the fire there. Another Packers beat writer, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, pushed back on that report.
“Sorry to rain on the parade, but I’m told Brian Gutekunst hasn’t discussed a Josh Sweat trade with anyone. Not a thing at this point,” Schneidman wrote.
All of that is going to lead to some confusion as it relates to Sweat. Clearly, there’s tension between him and the Cardinals, and a trade seems likely. Whether or not that’s with the Packers, though, is another story. It’s also worth pointing out that the phrasing “at this point” indicates that things could change with Green Bay.
Why Josh Sweat Wants to be Traded from the Arizona Cardinals
GettyArizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat
In the midst of a holdout, tensions are clearly high between Josh Sweat and the Arizona Cardinals. This comes after he played just one season of a four-year, $76 million deal that he signed before the 2025 season.
Unlike many holdouts, the issue for Sweat isn’t the money. It’s that he wants to be traded. That puts the Cardinals in a tough situation, where they’ll need to find a way to move him without much leverage to get fair value back.
The actual reason why Sweat wants to be traded from the Cardinals goes back to the coaching change. He came to Arizona to play for Jonathan Gannon, who was the head coach when he signed his contract. The pair had previously worked together when Gannon was the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Then, Gannon got fired. Even with defensive coordinator Nick Rallis being retained by the Cardinals, it’s not what Sweat signed up for.
The Packers come back into play because Gannon landed in Green Bay. There, he’s a defensive coordinator once again.
Josh Sweat Had a Disappointing Cardinals Tenure
GettyArizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat takes the field
In his one season with Arizona, the Cardinals went just 3-14. That was good for a fourth-place finish in the NFC West and the firing of Gannon by season’s end.
For his part, Sweat had one of the best individual seasons of his career. He finished with 12.0 sacks, which was a career high, and 13 tackles for a loss. He also forced four fumbles, which was another career high.
It’s success he’s only matched in his career in 2021 and 2022, when he was coached by Gannon in Philadelphia. That was also when he managed to get his Pro Bowl appearance and set his previous career high in sacks and his current career high in tackles for loss, with 15 back in 2022.
Now, it looks like Sweat’s tenure in Arizona is rapidly ending. That is, if the Cardinals find the right trade partner.
Cardinals Trade Rumors: Latest Connecting Josh Sweat to Packers