Of all the teams in the NFC West that the 49ers face, it is the Cardinals who give them the toughest battle.
For some reason, it is always the Cardinals. The 49ers had owned the Rams and Seahawks for the last four seasons until 2024. They couldn't scrap as well as the Cardinals when facing the 49ers.
Arizona has always been a threat in head-to-head matchups for the 49ers as opposed to the divisional race. Now, facing the Cardinals will get a little tougher.
There is one free agency move the Cardinals made that threatens the 49ers. That move is the signing of former Eagles pass rusher Josh Sweat.
The Cardinals were an ineffective pass rushing defense with some moments of success. They allowed the eight-highest time to throw (2.87) against them.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon is defensive oriented, so of course he noted that the Cardinals needed to improve there.
That is why they went out and got Sweat. They reunite together from their time with the Eagles in 2022 when Sweat had a breakout season.
Gannon is hoping Sweat boosts their pass rush and that he can get him to high level version in 2022. That will not bode well for the 49ers.
Sweat going against right tackle Colton McKivitz will be a struggle. It will make getting the ball out of Brock Purdy's hands emphasized in this game, especially if it is clear early on that McKivitz is getting worked.
What was always a tough matchup for the 49ers is only getting a little tougher with the Cardinals improving their pass rush.