Josh Sweat Had Perfect Response to Noisy Cardinals Offseason

The Arizona Cardinals' star pass rusher heard everything said about him.

Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat (10) against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ARIZONA — Arizona Cardinals OLB Josh Sweat heard the noise this offseason.

Sweat, heavily involved in trade chatter, ultimately wasn't moved by the Cardinals before the 2026 season. Many believed the pass rusher was disgruntled after Arizona fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, and reports indicated teams were calling on Sweat before training camp.

Nothing transpired. Sweat remained on PUP after having a procedure done but was taken off the list ahead of the regular season. Sweat played 53% of snaps in the season opener, the most of any outside linebacker. He tallied two tackles (one for loss) in the upset win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

After the game, Sweat spoke with AZCardinals.com's Zach Gershman and addressed the entire offseason that made him a prominent headline and talking point.

"There was a lot of noise in the offseason, but I didn't respond purposely," said Sweat. "I just wanted to see how far people's imagination could take it."

Sweat notably was thought to be a potential trade candidate to land with the Green Bay Packers, given their need for a pass rusher and connection with Gannon — who is now their defensive coordinator.

That didn't come to fruition, and after so much talk about Sweat being unhappy with the Cardinals, the pass rusher set the record straight.

"People think I only came here for one reason and that was Jonathan Gannon, and yeah, that made the decision easier for me, but I know the guys that were here," Sweat added.

"I love the way they play. I love that we want to make something bigger happen here. It's too good of a place to be where it was last year.

"I'm where I want to be."

The Cardinals certainly need Sweat to repeat his 12-sack output from last season if they'll continue to shock the world moving into the depths of the season. Perhaps familiarity with defensive coordinator Nick Rallis and his scheme will help moving forward as well.

There's no doubting Sweat's ability to get after the quarterback while freeing up opportunities for his fellow defenders. There's also no doubting Arizona's defense is reliant on Sweat to consistently do what he does best.

At least for now, trade rumors will die down. Perhaps around the November deadline they'll pick back up again.

Yet Sweat insists he's exactly where he wants to be. And if you ask anyone on the Cardinals, they'd say the same exact thing.