One season after Josh Sweat left the Philadelphia Eagles to sign a four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency, there’s word that the edge defender is unhappy with his current situation. Sweat hasn’t reported to voluntary OTA practices and now reporting indicates that teams around the league are checking in on his availability.
And so it’s time to ask the age old question: Should the Eagles trade for him?
My answer: No.
Sweat was a nice player for the Eagles; he certainly exceeded expectations as a Day 3 draft pick. He made a Pro Bowl, logged a double-digit sack season in 2022, and even earned some votes for Super Bowl LIX MVP. But if the team really wanted him on the roster, they wouldn’t have let him walk last year.
Had the Eagles not traded for Jonathan Greenard and also signed him to a major contract extension, a Sweat reunion would’ve made more sense. But Greenard is here to join a room that also includes Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, and Arnold Ebiketie … among others. The Eagles are high on Hunt’s potential after seeing him make a big leap from Year 1 to Year 2. Smith was recently arrested, which might not help his long-term outlook, but the team already picked up his fifth-year option for 2027. Ebiketie was signed to a one-year deal that includes $4.3 million guaranteed and a max value of $7.3 million. It’s also possible that Brandon Graham will be back for one more ride in 2026.
Sweat just doesn’t fit in the picture here. He’s a more logical trade target for other teams, including the Cowboys (boo). There’s some familiarity there with Christian Parker now in charge of the Dallas defense. Ditto for the Green Bay Packers with Jonathan Gannon (boo) hired as their defensive coordinator.