There’s a lot of buzz around the Arizona Cardinals potentially trading away star pass rusher Josh Sweat, who’s not a happy camper with the departure of former head coach Jonathan Gannon and the lack of guaranteed money.
“Don’t know the exact reason for the absence, but I’ve been hearing for a while that Josh Sweat is not particularly happy in AZ,” NFL reporter Kyle Odegard posted on X.
That said, the Chicago Bears could certainly use a pass rusher of Sweat’s caliber, with the team ranking 31st in pass-rush win rate (29%) and 26th in run-stop win rate (29%) last season. With Sweat coming off a season in which he amassed 12 sacks and appeared in all 17 games, teams are interested in the 29-year-old pass rusher, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
“Sources: The #Cardinals have received trade calls on Pro Bowl DE Josh Sweat. Sweat had 12 sacks last season in his first year with Arizona and had a close relationship with Jonathan Gannon, whom the Cardinals moved on from.”
Bears Could Be Among Teams Calling for Cardinals Edge Rusher Josh Sweat
GettyGLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 23: Josh Sweat #10 of the Arizona Cardinals looks on from the line in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
The Bears are likely one of those teams that have called on Josh Sweat’s potential availability to gauge the Cardinals’ asking price.
Factoring in Sweat’s production, age, and current contract situation, it’ll be hard for Arizona to ask for a first-round pick, even a second-round pick. The more likely return would be a third-round selection along with a potential sixth- or seventh-round pick.
For teams, the bigger problem won’t be the Cardinals’ asking price, but Sweat’s asking price for a new contract and whether the Cardinals would be willing to move on from one of their more productive assets.
Chicago, as of May 26th, has around $11.2 million in available cap in 2026 and around $14 million in 2027, according to OvertheCap.com. Some moves would be necessary for the team to be able to make a trade for Sweat.
Sweat had 12 sacks last season in his first year with Arizona and had a close relationship with Jonathan Gannon, whom the Cardinals moved on from.
Bears Urged to Trade for Sweat
Harrison Graham of Chat Sports believes the Bears should make a trade for Josh Sweat happen and provided more details on why it would be a good investment.
“I’d love him in Chicago. I would like to have him on the Bears for a lot of different reasons. One, he would just flat out bolster your pass rush unit, which we all know the Bears need. Two, I don’t think you would have to move an arm and a leg to get him. I think you’re talking about a late-day two, early-day three type of draft pick. He would have led your team in sacks last year. You can have some fun with the Sweat bros with Montez Sweat. I just think he elevates the floor of your room, and he’s a little bit better than some of the free-agent options out there.”
Think about it like this: NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah believes that building a championship foundation, a team needs to fill 12 crucial spots: QB, three off-playmakers, three quality offensive linemen, two proven pass rushers, and three defensive playmakers.
The Bears check all those boxes except at edge rusher, where it starts to get murky after Sweat. Adding another elite pass rusher like Josh Sweat could take the Bears from contenders to Super Bowl champs.
Bears Could Be Among Teams Calling for Cardinals’ Josh Sweat