The Philadelphia Eagles were on schedule to face 1 of the great defensive players of their recent past in edge rusher Josh Sweat when they traveled to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
That meeting might not happen, and Sweat could be getting another chance with a legitimate Super Bowl contender after spending 1 season of misery with the Cardinals in 2025.
“Hearing the Packers and Cardinals are working on a trade involving Josh Sweat, per source,” Packers reporter Easton Butler wrote on his official X account on Monday. “It is coming down to how much cap the Packers are willing to take, and how high of a pick.”
Sweat spend the 1st 7 seasons of his career with the Eagles, including a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and leading the team in sacks in 2024 on the way to winning a Super Bowl.
Josh Sweat No-Showed at OTAs After 3-14 Finish
Just 1 year after leaving the Eagles for a 4-year, $76.4 million free-agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals, Sweat found himself in the NFL trade rumor mill after not showing up for OTAs.
Perhaps the biggest issue for Sweat — and the reason for his absence — is that the Cardinals suck right now. Going 3-14 in 2025 was too much for him to handle after winning a Super Bowl the previous year with the Eagles.
“Don’t know the exact reason for the absence, but I’ve been hearing for awhile that Josh Sweat is not particularly happy in AZ,” NFL reporter Kyle Odegard wrote on his official X account on May 19.
The Eagles have been trade-happy when it comes to edge rushers in recent years, cutting a deal for Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips at the 2025 trade deadline, then trading for Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard this offseason, and signing him to a 4-year, $98 million contract extension.
All Signs Pointed to Messy Exit for Josh Sweat
Sweat’s discontent in Arizona could also be tied to the fact that the man who brought him in, Cardinals head coach and former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, was fired in January after going 15-36 in 3 seasons in Arizona.
“(Sweat) in the second year of his deal, but his pact has no guaranteed money beyond 2026,” Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton wrote on May 20. “Coming off a career-high 12 sacks last season, the 29-year-old may want more financial security … Sweat’s issue with the Cardinals may go beyond his contract, though a pay raise could smooth things over with the premier pass-rusher.”
In 2025, Sweat had a career-high 12.0 sacks to go with 13 TFL, 17 QB hits, and 4 forced fumbles but wasn’t selected to the Pro Bowl or named NFL All-Pro.
“I’m upset because there’s only two individual things that you can get and it’s Pro Bowl and All-Pro,” Sweat told ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss after he wasn’t selected to the Pro Bowl. “And I got one taken away from me. I’m just flat out saying it was taken away from me — and it ain’t the first time … It’s like I don’t know what else I could have done at that point. I don’t know what else I could have done.”
Report: Former Eagles Star Josh Sweat in Trade Talks With NFC Contender