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Josh Sweats latest trade prediction helps Bears in playoff race in 2026, sends picks to Cardinals.

If there’s one player for the Arizona Cardinals who continually is brought up in trade rumors, it’s edge rusher Josh Sweat. Of course, the 29-year-old did himself or the team no favors once he didn’t show up for the team’s OTAs amid a contract holdout.

Sweat did eventually show up to the mandatory workouts for the team, and since then, most of those rumors about trading him have been put to rest.

However, that didn’t stop Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport from presenting a new one that would be quite impactful… at least for the Bears.

Cardinals Predicted to Make Shocking Josh Sweat Trade

Davenport recently outlined six shocking trades that could impact the NFL playoff race during the 2026 season.

One of the more notable proposals involved the Chicago Bears acquiring Sweat from Arizona in exchange for a conditional 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick.

Davenport acknowledged that Arizona has repeatedly indicated it has no interest in moving the veteran pass rusher.

“Edge-rusher Josh Sweat is another example of a player who has generated all sorts of trade buzz—and a team in the Arizona Cardinals who has said they have no plans to deal him,” Davenport wrote.

Despite the continued speculation, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur recently made it clear he isn’t paying attention to any of the rumors involving his top pass rusher.

“I don’t even read into the offers,” LaFleur said. “I’m just excited about the fact that I don’t have to game plan against this guy.”

LaFleur continued by praising both the player and the way he handles his preparation.

“He’s a good dude. He goes about his process, and he’s not the first guy to go about his process the way he is in terms of how he’s training and all that,” LaFleur said.

Why Cardinals Trade Prediction With Bears Makes Sense

Despite Arizona’s public stance, Davenport still sees logic behind a potential deal.

Sweat is coming off a 12-sack season and remains under contract through the 2028 campaign. However, Davenport questioned whether the Cardinals are close enough to contention to justify keeping one of their most valuable trade assets.

“But the harsh reality is that Arizona may well be the NFL’s worst team in 2026—the Redbirds aren’t going to be contenders for a while,” Davenport wrote.

The Bears, meanwhile, are coming off an NFC North title and appear to have a more immediate need for pass-rush help.

According to Davenport, Chicago’s defense generated just 35 sacks last season, making another impact edge rusher an appealing addition.

“The Bears, meanwhile, are the defending NFC North champions and a team that badly needs to upgrade the pass rush after logging just 35 sacks last season,” Davenport wrote.

Pairing Josh Sweat with Montez Sweat would give Chicago one of the more intriguing edge-rushing duos in the conference and potentially strengthen a team that already has high expectations in 2026.

Whether the Cardinals would actually entertain such an offer is another question entirely. For now, Arizona has continued to publicly support Sweat and dismiss trade speculation, but Davenport believes a deal involving the veteran pass rusher would be one of the more impactful moves that could reshape the NFC playoff picture.