Cardinals Star Josh Sweat Rightfully Blasts Pro Bowl Snub

ARIZONA -- The holiday season often brings joyous gifts, but for Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Josh Sweat, it feels like something was taken away.

Sweat, having one of the best seasons for any outside linebacker at 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovered, wasn't voted to the NFL's 2026 Pro Bowl.

Sweat was an alternate -- meaning he could get in if somebody ahead of him drops out -- though he won't initially be joining teammates Trey McBride and Budda Baker in San Francisco.

Speaking with reporters at his locker this week, Sweat gave an honest and candid perspective on being snubbed:

Josh Sweat Dives Into Pro Bowl Snub

Arizona Cardinals LB Josh Swea — 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 | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“Ya'll let me know if I'm crazy. I don't know. I had my best season from the start of the voting to the end of the voting. I'm top five in sacks. Second in the NFC. No. 1 in forced fumbles. I don't know what else I could have done at that point," Sweat told reporters.

"What else did they want me to do? The popularity was there. You can say ‘losing team,’ it didn’t matter. I had the popularity, what else could I have done? I’m the only double-digit (sack) NFC guy that didn’t make it.

"How do you select the one with the most forced fumbles and then say this is the guy we're gonna leave out? I don’t care about ‘losing team.’ It’s an individual thing. That’s why I’m so upset.

“I’m upset because the fans that actually went out there and voted for me, it meant nothing at the end of the day.”

“And I'm upset There’s only two individual things that you can get is Pro Bowl and All-Pro. I got one taken away from me. I’m just flat out saying it: It was taken away from me. And it ain’t the first time.

"That’s all I can really say about it. The fans said, ‘He should be the guy. I want him in’ My play showed I should be in. But somewhere, some popularity within the league said that, ‘He shouldn’t be in.’ I just want to know if I’m crazy. The only double digit NFC guy to not make it.

"All they do is wave a player card in your face like, 'go vote! Look at the sacks and forced fumbles' but the team's losing or whatever, I'm not really trying to hear none of that. I just want what I earn and what I work for."

Full clip:

Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat is not thrilled about the Pro Bowl snub and feels like the honor was taken away from him in a career year:

“I had the popularity. What else could I have done?” pic.twitter.com/e5HgCJ10CM
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) December 24, 2025