The Green Bay Packers shocked the world last offseason by trading for Micah Parsons. They could do it again by trading for Josh Sweat.
Okay, maybe not the entire world cared, but still. It was a blockbuster move, and rare for the Packers, who prefer to draft and develop their own talent and hoard their draft picks like Smaug.
Parsons completely altered the trajectory of the defense, and the Packers felt his eventual absence acutely.
The Packers don’t make franchise-altering trades often. But now that they have, what about adding another star pass-rusher into the mix?
According to NFL insider Jordan Shultz, the Arizona Cardinals are receiving trade calls on edge rusher Josh Sweat after just one year with the team. It doesn’t mean the Cardinals will trade him. Still, multiple reports suggest Sweat, who isn’t at OTAs, is unhappy with the team.
While the Packers are already down next year’s first-round pick from the Parsons trade, trading for a veteran player isn’t their usual MO to begin with. But there’s a significant reason the Packers might consider trading for Sweat: new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
Sweat played for Gannon in Philadelphia (as DC) and Arizona (as HC). With Gannon in Green Bay and the Cardinals in a full rebuild, would the Packers consider reuniting Sweat with his old coordinator?
After spending the first seven years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Sweat chose Arizona partially to play for Gannon. Sweat had his first and only Pro Bowl under Gannon in 2021, and he clearly fit the scheme.
Sweat was good in his eighth season last year. He totaled 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 47 pressures. His overall 74.2 PFF grade was 31st for qualifying edge defenders. Even approaching age 30, Sweat is still playing excellent football.
With Arizona moving on from Gannon and committing to a rebuild under first-time head coach Mike LaFleur, it appears Sweat wants out. Sweat isn’t at OTAs and reportedly isn’t happy in AZ, which makes sense if he went there to play for Gannon.
Gannon is generally well-regarded by his former players. New linebacker Zaire Franklin expressed excitement about working under Gannon again. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who also played under Gannon and with Sweat in Philadelphia, joined Green Bay partially to play under his old DC.
“I had my best years with him, and he did a lot of things to give me opps, give us all opps,” Hargrave said after joining the Packers. “I think just his defense kind of fit some of my style and what I like to do.”
Meanwhile, the Packers moved on from Rashan Gary after an inelegant 2025 season, and Micah Parsons is likely to start the season on the PUP list. The Packers will rely on Lukas Van Ness and an unproven group of Day 3 picks to keep the pass rush afloat.
The hope is that LVN evolves into, at worst, a reliable No. 2 edge presence and earns an extension to keep him in Green Bay. While Van Ness was trending upward last season, he’s still a work in progress.
Sweat would easily start opposite Van Ness to start the season, and eventually across from Parsons. It would give the Packers an elite, proven duo on the edge.
The fit makes perfect sense. The issue is availability and cost.
While the Cardinals have received offers, it doesn’t mean they’ll actually trade Sweat. The Cardinals need help just about everywhere, and getting rid of one of their best defenders isn’t going to make them better. On the other hand, with so many needs and a new coaching staff, the Cardinals should try to get some capital.
Sweat’s contract isn’t small, and he’ll head into high-cap-cost years after 2026. But the Packers can afford it, and they could choose to restructure the deal. If the Packers want Sweat, they have the means to make it work within the cap.
Considering the Packers were paying Rashan Gary for much less production last season, Sweat would slide in easily.
The main issue would be the draft compensation. A mid-round pick for an experienced and still successful edge rusher is more than worth it. But if Arizona wants a second or third-round pick, Green Bay should be wary. Experts predict the 2027 draft class will have good edge rushers, so Green Bay might choose to draft and develop a new player, as they so often have. It’s hard to get hopes up that this will happen, even though it would be really neat.
Still, the fit is so good, and the human factor makes this more realistic than most other big-name acquisition targets. Gannon’s ability to connect with his players is already paying off in Green Bay. Maybe it’ll happen again this summer.
