Josh Sweat signing grades: What are they saying about the Cardinals’ big get?

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon had ties to Philadelphia Eagles free agent pass rusher Josh Sweat. He oversaw Sweat’s most productive sack season in 2022, when Gannon was the Eagles defensive coordinator.

But until the NFL free-agency negotiating period opened on Monday, it wasn’t clear if the apprehensive-by-nature Cardinals front office would pursue the big-money free agent.

They did just that, signing Sweat to a four-year, $76 million deal that guarantees $41 million, according to multiple reports.

Adding a premiere pass rusher while re-signing several of their own free agents on Monday puts the pedal firmly down for this coming 2025 season.

The addition of Sweat played well among Cardinals players like quarterback Kyler Murray, captain Budda Baker and fellow pass rusher BJ Ojurlari.

Woke up in South Korea to some good news, we got a dog coming to the Valley @SweatyJ_9 Welcome bro!🥋

— Kyler Murray (@K1) March 10, 2025

🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/SG2brR6HJ2

— Bj Ojulari🇳🇬 (@0julari) March 10, 2025

pic.twitter.com/Xba7odOKa0

— Budda Baker (@Buddabaker3) March 10, 2025

But how did NFL analysts grade the Sweat signing on Arizona’s end? For the most part, it appeared to be a positive, even if Sweat has only surpassed the double-digit sack mark once in his first seven NFL seasons.

Free agency grades: Josh Sweat is a Cardinal

Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacciano: B grade

The 27-year-old has been a strong pass rusher, but not a dominant one. He’s also struggled to find consistency at times. The Cards are clearly banking on him rediscovering his old form under his former coach, and proving he can be the kind of dominant player he looked like in the Super Bowl, when he had 2.5 sacks. Because while $19.1 million per year isn’t an astronomical price for an edge rusher, it puts Sweat in the Top 12 at his position. He will now have to play like he belongs in that group.

The Athletic’s Mike Jones: A grade

The Cardinals were intent on adding pass-rushing help to further fortify Jonathan Gannon’s defense. They went out and got one of the heroes of Super Bowl LIX, paying Sweat $76.4 million and $41 million guaranteed. Sweat has one double-digit sack campaign (2022) in his seven-year career. However, his coordinator that year was Gannon, so perhaps the coach can help Sweat further elevate his game entering Year 8.

For the Win’s Robert Zeglinski: B grade

You can’t get by on Arizona’s depth and development approach to this point forever.

Is Sweat worth the deal? Given his familiarity with Gannon and the general tenor of this free agency market, I’d probably have to lean yes. Under Gannon’s guidance from 2021 to 2022, Sweat earned the only Pro Bowl nod of his career so far and had 18.5 total sacks and 36 quarterback hits in that same time. That’s a bona fide star player you can help build an entire defensive unit around. With all due respect to capable veterans like Justin Jones and Mack Wilson Sr., no one was game-planning for them.

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