Gannon was fired after one season.
Sweat was not happy about it.
Per PHNX Sports' Jenny Venerable, Sweat requested a trade after Gannon's dismissal in January, and the Cardinals told him no.
Per Jordan Schultz, the situation has not resolved itself since.
"The Arizona Cardinals have received trade calls on defensive end Josh Sweat," Schultz reported, noting that Sweat has skipped OTAs and that his close relationship with Gannon was the primary reason he signed in Arizona in the first place.
Sweat has not been attending voluntary workouts, and Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard had reported previously that Sweat is not particularly happy with the organization.
The discomfort is not financial, at least not directly.
His $19 million per year salary ranks 22nd among edge rushers and carries no guaranteed money beyond 2026, which means any acquiring team inherits a player who is motivated and healthy but whose contract has a natural escape valve built in.
Sweat is 29 years old, led the Cardinals with 12 sacks in 2025, and has 55 career sacks and 11 forced fumbles across 121 regular-season games with the Eagles and Cardinals combined.
He is good. He just wants to be somewhere else.
The Two Most Logical Destinations
The Green Bay Packers are the most frequently cited landing spot given the Gannon connection.
Gannon is now Green Bay's defensive coordinator after being hired by coach Matt LaFleur following his Arizona dismissal, and reuniting Sweat with the coordinator whose system produced his best professional seasons is as clean an organizational argument as exists in the current trade market.
The Packers also have a need after Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL in 2025 and faces a significant recovery timeline heading into the season.
Sources: The #Cardinals have received trade calls on Pro Bowl DE Josh Sweat.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 26, 2026
Sweat had 12 sacks last season in his first year with Arizona and had a close relationship with Jonathan Gannon, whom the Cardinals moved on from. pic.twitter.com/ateZ6r4bi4
A Sweat-Parsons duo, if Parsons returns at full strength midseason, would be the most feared pass-rush tandem in the NFC.
The Chicago Bears are the other name that keeps appearing.
Montez Sweat is already in Chicago, and the edge rusher room behind him is dangerously thin, with Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner, and Austin Booker combining for 5.5 sacks last season.
Adding Josh Sweat opposite Montez would give the Bears a legitimate two-headed pass-rush identity rather than one star and several question marks.
The Cap Complication
Trading Sweat before June 1 costs Arizona an additional $5.6 million in 2026 cap space because the dead money calculation changes.
After June 1, the Cardinals can save $10.9 million but still trigger a $31.8 million dead cap hit.
That is a big number on a team eating dead money on Kyler Murray's contract simultaneously, and it explains why Arizona said no in January even when Sweat was openly asking out.
DEVELOPING: The Cardinals have reportedly been receiving trade calls on DE Josh Sweat amid growing speculation surrounding his future in Arizona, per Jordan Schultz.
— Preme Football (@premefootball) May 26, 2026
Sweat is currently entering Year 2 of his 4-year, $76.4M contract, but reports surfaced last week claiming he… pic.twitter.com/PUJgwIENcu
At a conditional fourth-round pick potentially becoming a third, the asset return is modest but the cap relief could make the math work.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
