The Josh Sweat Hold-in Continues, But The Timing Just Isn’t Right

While everything in Green Bay Packers camp has run mostly smoothly thus far- no holdouts, extensions for budding star players, and returns for key players- not everyone is so lucky. Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat appears to be engaging in something of a hold-in. While officially Sweat is on PUP with what is being categorized as “knee maintenance,” I was not born yesterday. It was known that Sweat had submitted a trade request to the organization in the off-season, but more reporting from below highlights that Sweat actually went to the team the day current Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was fired.

The relationship between Sweat and Gannon has been well-documented already, and the Packers’ need for an additional pass rusher in the short-term is glaring until Micah Parsons returns sometime between Weeks 5 and 8-ish. Beyond that point, it would give Green Bay a strong threesome of edge rushers with Parsons, Sweat, and Lukas Van Ness, who, despite injuries, started to look like a player Green Bay was hoping for in the last few weeks of 2025. Per Easton Butler, who has been on top of multiple trades over the past few years, Green Bay did engage in discussions with Arizona around Sweat earlier in the off-season.

Green Bay’s offer, however, has not reached the threshold Arizona is looking for.

I don’t think Green Bay’s alleged offer here is off-base, nor do I think Arizona is necessarily wrong for holding out for more. The problem arises with the timing for both teams. Green Bay needs Sweat early in the season, while Micah Parsons finishes up his rehab from his ACL tear. The Arizona Cardinals are in no particular rush to move him before the trade deadline, which won’t be until November 10th, between weeks nine and ten. Sweat can continue his hold-in, erm, completely legitimate injury rehab, but that still doesn’t really alter the market for his services. If everyone knows he’s really fine, it’s not going to ding his market, and Arizona, even despite the complete delusion the NFL provides teams, is probably quite clear-eyed about their 2026 outlook, and will be prioritizing getting the most compensation for him rather than trying to make sure he’s out of the building.

As much as I would like to see Josh Sweat in Green and Gold, it’s tough to thread the needle. His value to Green Bay is highest now, and by the time Arizona will be prompted to move, Green Bay’s offer may be even worse than it is now and other teams will enter the fray. And with Sweat’s contract entirely made up of non-guaranteed money from this point forward, there’s a great deal of malleability financially that would be of use not just to Green Bay, but to any contender. Expect Green Bay to be involved in discussions to the end, but perhaps the return of Parsons and the hopeful ascendence of Van Ness make it unnecessary by November.