No Sweat: Cardinals Gm Appears To Shut The Door On Trading Top Pass Rusher

Josh Sweat’s name has been twisting in the trade-rumor breeze for months now, but the Arizona Cardinals appear to be shutting down any talk of trading their star pass rusher — for now.

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort spoke with the media on Monday, and he was asked about Sweat’s situation. Particularly note the wording, via the official website’s team reporter, of whether Sweat had requested a trade:

First things first: That’s a pretty firm denial by Ossenfort. You can’t say it much more clearly than “We have no interest in trading Josh.” That falls in line with what NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported back in June, firmly indicating Arizona had no plans to deal Sweat at that time.

But it’s never been confirmed that Sweat had officially requested a trade from the team, only media and fan speculation previously. Ossenfort didn’t try to deny that part Monday, nor did he deny teams calling him this offseason to check on Sweat’s availability this offseason.

Our belief: It’s fair to reason that both happened, otherwise Ossenfort almost certainly would have challenged the phrasing of the question.

What’s happening with Josh Sweat now

Sweat, who recently turned 29, is currently on the active/PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list with a knee issue. It’s reportedly a chronic issue dating back to college, but no one seems worried about it. Sweat skipped voluntary workouts this summer but attended the team’s mandatory minicamp.

Ossenfort said that Sweat is “making good progress” with the injury, “getting closer every day” and will be back “in due time.” Head coach Mike LaFleur has also downplayed it, saying he expects Sweat to be available Week 1 against the Chargers in L.A.

But if the trade request did happen, it might be an indication that Sweat is regretting the four-year, $76.4 million deal he signed with Arizona one year ago. He was terrific in his first season with the Cardinals, notching 12 sacks and four forced fumbles. But his impact couldn’t prevent the team’s defense ranking as a bottom-10 unit overall, which led to the ouster of Jonathan Gannon. Scary to think what that defense would have been without him.

Sweat reportedly was very close with Gannon, which might have been a big reason why he signed in Arizona — and potentially a big reason why he might be unhappy with his situation.

Could the Cardinals change their stance?

The Cardinals have plenty to figure out in LaFleur’s first season. On the one hand, no coach wants to trade away one of his best players. But on the other, if the Cardinals stumble out of the gates this season — and they have an absolute whopper of a schedule — then Ossenfort might have no choice but to rethink his no-trade stance.

There would be no shortage of suitors. The Cowboys, still seeking defensive firepower, have hinted they could be open for another big swing of the bat. But they’re hardly the only ones.

Gannon, now coaching in Green Bay, surely would love to reunite with his former player. Would LesFleurs come together to make this deal happen? (Brothers Mike and Matt will have a chance to talk in person when the Packers and Cardinals play in the preseason Aug. 29.) A Sweat-Micah Parsons pairing could be too good for the Packers to resist if the price is right.

Beyond that, the Bears, Patriots, Chiefs, Bills and Eagles — the team that drafted Sweat — could all make sense, too. Pass rushers are always a premium target in the NFL, any time of the year.

On top of that, Sweat’s deal could be viewed as a relative bargain. He’s at or near the peak of his career, and his $19.1 APY salary now ranks outside the top 20 at edge rusher. With the recent big-money extensions signed at the position, Sweat counts less than half against the cap as Will Anderson Jr., Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett do for their respective teams.

But again, with the Cards closing the door on any trade for now, those Sweat dreams must be deferred. We’ll see how long the Cardinals stick to their guns on this one.