Josh Sweat reportedly has asked the Arizona Cardinals for a trade. His contract includes an option bonus that will trigger on March 20. If a team trades for him before that date, the acquiring team would assume a $12.7 million cap charge and pay $18.1 million in cash for the 2026 season.
Because Arizona has not exercised the option bonus, the payment and the proration for the signing bonus would transfer to the new team if the trade is completed before the deadline.
The Green Bay Packers should explore a move for Josh Sweat. Micah Parsons will likely begin the season on the PUP list. The Packers also recently traded Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys. As things stand, Green Bay’s edge group heading into Week 1 would mainly consist of Lukas Van Ness, Collin Oliver, Barryn Sorrell, and Brenton Cox Jr.
That’s a collection of young talent with intriguing upside but little proven production in the NFL. Bringing in a veteran like Sweat could help stabilize the position while those players continue to develop. Sweat also previously played under Jonathan Gannon during their time together with the Philadelphia Eagles and later with the Cardinals.
Sweat also has a $7.22 million option bonus due on March 20. If the Packers acquire him, they could restructure the deal to spread some of that money over future seasons and lower the immediate cap hit, as Wendell Ferreira of AtoZ Sports noted:
Sweat has a $7.22 million option bonus due on March 20, so presumably the trade would have to be executed before that for it to make sense for the Cardinals. The Packers could convert his option bonus and most of his $9.78 million base salary into a signing bonus, lowering his 2026 cap hit to $5.54 million – however, that would increase his cap hit in 2027 and 2028 to $21.24 million, plus $6.28 million in dead money when the contract voids in 2029.
Any potential Josh Sweat trade likely wouldn’t come cheap for Green Bay, both in terms of salary and draft capital. The Packers already have one major investment on the edge with Micah Parsons, and another could be coming soon if the team picks up the fifth-year option for Lukas Van Ness. Committing significant money to a third player at the same position could complicate Green Bay’s financial picture.
That said, the Packers could explore signing Van Ness to an extension this offseason instead of only exercising his fifth-year option. If they structure it properly, that type of deal could come in around the value of the option year while lowering his short-term cap charges. Spreading the money over additional seasons would give Green Bay more flexibility and allow it to take on another sizable contract, such as one for Sweat.
Production has followed Sweat wherever he has played, having recorded at least 45 pressures in each of the past five seasons. Green Bay has already brought in some veteran help this offseason, including Zaire Franklin and Javon Hargrave. While Sweat is still only 28, he’s slightly older than the typical profile Brian Gutekunst tends to target at this time of the year. Still, age has not stopped Gutekunst from bringing a few atypical profiles like Franklin and Hargrave to Titletown this offseason.
We’ll see if Matt LaFleur can convince his little brother, Mike LaFleur, to send an early Easter gift his way. The Packers are in a win-now window, while the Cardinals are starting a rebuild. That dynamic could make a deal involving Josh Sweat sensible for both sides.
Green Bay is also expected to hold a strong collection of Day 2 and Day 3 picks in the 2027 draft. If the Packers decide to pursue Sweat, offering one of those selections could be a reasonable starting point in negotiations with Arizona.