Don’t hit the panic button on Cardinals’ Josh Sweat … yet

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has made plenty of headlines for his offseason absence from the team.

He, however, pales in comparison to pass rusher Josh Sweat, another player who has been away from the team this offseason.

The Cardinals can get away with moving on from Brissett. There are two starting options already getting reps in under head coach Mike LaFleur’s watch as it is in Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck.

But there is no one — and I mean no one — on the roster who can replace Sweat.

For a team whose owner said he wanted a quick turnaround following yet another coaching change, moving off Sweat in any way, shape or form seems just about the opposite move to make.

That’s why the whispers around the team potentially trading the pass rusher seem off, especially after Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. did his best to squash the early rumors.

Yet here we are.

As NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday, Arizona has received trade calls on Sweat. That makes total sense for multiple reasons.

First off, why wouldn’t teams call? Sweat is coming off a career year in Arizona, racking up 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and 17 QB hits in 17 starts.

Any general manager looking for a premium pass rusher is likely going to check the temperature of the situation. If not, what are they even doing?

Second, the Cardinals are projected to finish dead last in a division filled with No. 1 hopefuls. Sweat has tasted team success at the highest level. Wanting to experience that again wouldn’t be shocking.

There’s also an argument to be had regarding his Pro Bowl snub last year. Had he been on a contending team and still put up a career year, would that have changed the way voters viewed him? Given how perturbed he was at the snub, it’s fair to wonder.

Oh yeah, and how about the fact that Jonathan Gannon is no longer the head coach? Reuniting with his former Philadelphia defensive coordinator was a big part of the appeal to come to Arizona.

Now that Gannon is gone, that’s one less person firmly in Sweat’s camp.

But even with all the reasons why Sweat could possibly want another fresh start, it’s not yet time to fully panic.

While Gannon is now calling the defense in Green Bay, there are still 76.4 million reasons why Sweat should be more than happy running it back in Arizona on his current multi-year contract. As for his deal being issue? It shouldn’t be. Sweat is getting paid well.

Let’s remember the current timeline at play, too.

If Sweat really was that upset with Gannon’s firing, moving off the pass rusher before the NFL Draft would have been a main priority for the Cardinals.

And at the very least, Arizona would have added another pass rusher or two through free agency or the draft.

Instead, the Cardinals are largely returning the same group of pass rushers who couldn’t produce more than 5.5 sacks combined last year, compared to Sweat’s 12.

Sweat has also been absent from offseason work in the past. Last year, he was among the players who stayed away from voluntary work and there were no issues.

Gannon may be gone, but defensive coordinator Nick Rallis remains. And he’s not reinventing the wheel in 2026. Of the players who truly need the added field work, Sweat isn’t one of them.

And voluntary work is just that, voluntary.

As former Cardinals LB Lorenzo Alexander told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday, OTAs are “glorified walkthroughs.”

For veterans like Alexander, getting that extra time with family before the rigors of the season took over were key later in their careers.

 

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When is it time to panic about Josh Sweat?

Before you reach for a paper bag and hyperventilate, the panic meter remains low even if the vultures are beginning to circle.

Even if Sweat isn’t present for the last two rounds of organized team activities, that feeling remains.

But if mandatory minicamp rolls around on June 8 and Sweat is nowhere to be found, then it’s time to start wondering what’s up.

Brissett’s absence may have gotten more noise for his request for a pay raise, but it’s Sweat who will steal national headlines if he’s not on the grass for minicamp next month.

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