The San Francisco 49ers are perhaps the NFL’s most dangerous team headed toward the November 10 NFL trade deadline — with the cache and the salary cap space to make major moves.
The 49ers already took one bold step on Tuesday, when they brought back former 1st-round pick and NFL All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen think the 49ers are in line for another big move on defense, calling them a “Top Trade Fit” for Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat.
“Rumblings persist that Sweat would want a new contract — he’s in the second year of a four-year, $76 million deal — and that could complicate things,” Bowen wrote on October 28. “But many teams are looking for an edge rusher.”
“A long, angular mover who can win with speed-to-power, Sweat had 12 sacks and 37 pressures in Arizona last season,” Bowen wrote. “But his numbers haven’t been as solid in 2026, with two sacks and 10 pressures. Still, Sweat’s ability to threaten the edges of offensive tackles with his quickness off the ball fits pass-rush fronts across the league.”
The 49ers are 6-1 but have been in a bad way at edge rusher — Mykel Williams and Nick Bosa are both coming off serious knee injuries in 2025 and both have missed huge chunks of time already in 2026.
Josh Sweat Tops List of NFL Trade Candidates
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Sweat at the top of his list of NFL trade candidates heading into Week 7.
In Knox’s model, Sweat would cost only a 2027 conditional 4th-round pick — the real hurdle is his contract.
“Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort will likely consider making other moves ahead of the deadline, and pass-rusher Josh Sweat is a prime trade candidate to track,” Knox wrote. “The Cardinals‘ GM dismissed the idea of moving Sweat during the offseason, but stronger offers could come in-season as teams gear up for a playoff run. Sweat, who has two sacks, three tackles for loss, and seven quarterback pressures this season, should draw significant interest. While Sweat can help the Cardinals now, he also looms as a likely 2027 cap casualty. Arizona can release him with a post-June 1 designation in the spring and save $18.1 million in cap space next offseason.”
Josh Sweat: Underrated, Dominant Edge Rusher
Sweat, 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, has spent his career moving in silence and violence as one of the NFL’s most underrated edge rushers.
Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Sweat was a key part of two defenses that reached the Super Bowl — losing in 2022, then winning in 2024, when he led the team in sacks.
For some reason, the Eagles didn’t want to pay Sweat what he was worth, but the Cardinals did. He was one of the team’s few bright spots in 2025, with 12.5 sacks as the team stumbled to a 3-14 record.
Sweat was noticeably absent from minicamp in May — reports that he was seeking a trade made him an attractive target for any team needing that rare talent.
49ers Urged to Solidify Defense With $76 Million Trade Pitch