Josh Sweat is unhappy is Arizona.
Eagles have money to spend, especially if/when AJ Brown gets traded.
Nolan Smith was recently arrested and has been dealing with injuries.
Should Howie bring him back?
Getty
Josh Sweat #19 of the Philadelphia Eagles awaits the snap against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
The Philadelphia Eagles may not be done adding to their defensive front just yet, especially as speculation continues to build around a possible reunion with a familiar face.
According to a recent piece from Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox, the Eagles are among the top teams that should pursue Josh Sweat if the Arizona Cardinals decide to make him available in a trade.
The timing of the speculation is notable.
Sweat skipped the opening portion of Arizona’s voluntary OTAs, and reports surfaced from Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard claiming the veteran pass rusher is “not particularly happy” with his current situation. While nothing guarantees Sweat will ultimately request a trade, the rumors have already sparked plenty of discussion around a possible return to Philadelphia.
Knox believes the fit makes perfect sense.
Josh Sweat is unhappy is Arizona.
Eagles have money to spend, especially if/when AJ Brown gets traded.
Nolan Smith was recently arrested and has been dealing with injuries.
Should Howie bring him back?
“The Eagles recorded a respectable 42 sacks in 2025, but they didn’t have any one defender who could consistently win on the edge one-on-one,” Knox wrote. “Jalyx Hunt led the team with just 6.5 sacks.”
He later added, “It’s why the Eagles should make a play to bring Sweat back into the fold now.”
Even after trading for Jonathan Greenard during the draft, Philadelphia’s pass rush remains one of the bigger question marks entering 2026.
The Eagles finished with solid overall sack numbers last season. However, the defense lacked the type of dominant edge presence that consistently takes over games. That issue became even more noticeable after Sweat departed in free agency last offseason.
Before signing a four-year, $76.4 million deal with Arizona, Sweat spent seven seasons in Philadelphia and developed into one of the more reliable edge defenders in the NFC. During the Eagles’ Super Bowl run following the 2024 season, he recorded eight regular-season sacks and added another 2.5 sacks in the playoffs.
At his peak, Sweat formed one of the league’s better pass-rushing rotations and earned Pro Bowl honors after posting 11 sacks during the 2022 campaign.
A reunion could also make sense from a familiarity standpoint. Sweat already knows the system, the organization, and much of the defensive culture that helped Philadelphia become one of the NFL’s top defenses earlier this decade.
Of course, any potential trade would come down to compensation and salary cap flexibility.
Knox projected Sweat’s trade value around a conditional fourth-round pick that could become a third-rounder depending on performance incentives. However, Arizona may still seek a stronger return considering Sweat is under contract for three more seasons and just finished a 12-sack year.
The Cardinals would also absorb a massive dead-cap hit by moving him, which complicates any deal financially.
Still, the Eagles have never been shy about aggressively pursuing veteran pass rushers when they believe the roster has championship potential. Philadelphia previously dealt draft capital for players like Jaelan Phillips and Greenard in attempts to strengthen the edge rotation.
Now, another former Eagle may suddenly be back on the radar.
Dylan Tracy-Lindenbaum Dylan Tracy-Lindenbaum is a Content Programming Assistant with the NFL and college football, NFL and MLB reporter for Heavy Sports. He has also worked with FOX Sports, the Big Ten Network, and RotoWire. More about Dylan Tracy-Lindenbaum
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