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The Cincinnati Bengals have made aggressive moves this offseason to end their playoff drought and become one of the Super Bowl contenders in the 2026 NFL season.

In free agency, the Bengals signed Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook to improve the defense. However, the biggest move of their offseason came days before the 2026 NFL Draft when they traded away the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence II.

Nonetheless, the Bengals are being urged to be one of seven teams to pursue a veteran pass rusher. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report listed a handful of teams that should consider pursuing Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat.

“Since the Bengals are willing to attack the 2026 season aggressively, they should also take a long look at Sweat if he becomes available,” Knox wrote in his May 25 article. “Cincinnati did sign Boye Mafe in free agency, but it also lost Hendrickson to the rival Ravens.

“Myles Murphy led the Bengals with just 5.5 sacks last season, and Cincinnati’s defense recorded just 34 quarterback takedowns in total. In 2025, Sweat had more sacks than Murphy and Mafe combined.”

Along with the Bengals on this list, Knox mentions the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles.

What Could Cardinals Ask for In Potential Trade?

As for what the Cardinals would want for Sweat, who doesn’t fit their rebuild timeline, Knox projects Arizona getting a conditional 2027 4th-round pick that can become a third-rounder if statistical thresholds are met.

“Sweat doesn’t have the same long-term upside as Jaelan Phillips, who was traded for a third-round pick at last year’s deadline. His value is further diminished by the fact that edge-defenders like Joey Bosa, Von Miller, Kyle Van Noy, Jadeveon Clowney, and Leonard Floyd are still available and free to sign without any trade compensation.

“On the flip side, Sweat has three years left on a four-year, $76.4 million contract. The Cardinals could save $10.9 million by trading him after June 1, but they’d also trigger a $31.8 million dead-cap hit—and trading Sweat before June 1 would cost an additional $5.6 million in 2026 cap space.

“Arizona isn’t likely to eat that much dead money without getting a reasonable return for Sweat. They’re likely to start the bidding at the same third-round price that the Philadelphia Eagles paid for a half-season of Phillips, even if teams aren’t eager to match.”

What Would Josh Sweat Bring to a Team Like the Bengals?

The question now is what Sweat would bring to any of these teams, or another team, as he could be a potential trade candidate during the 2026 season heading into the trade deadline.

Last season, Sweat posted a 74.2 overall PFF defensive grade while playing 540 total snaps on the Cardinals defense.

He generated 47 total pressures as a pass rusher that included 12 sacks, 29 hurries, and six QB hits. Meanwhile, against the run, he recorded 11 solo tackles while forcing three fumbles.

It will be interesting to see if the Bengals make another move at some point during the season to further boost their Super Bowl chances.