Cardinals Team Captain Shuts Down Trade Rumors

Trade rumors are swirling around the Arizona Cardinals as free agency is now fully underway.

Two different reports surfaced this week suggesting star outside linebacker Josh Sweat requested a trade this offseason. Sweat, who just finished the first of a four-year, $76.4 million deal, led the Cardinals in sacks last season and is one of their top defensive players.

Sweat reportedly was upset after head coach Jonathan Gannon was fired. Gannon spent prior time with Sweat in Philadelphia, and Sweat's two best statistical seasons have come under Gannon's watch.

Mack Wilson shot those trade rumors down with one word.

"Cap" said the linebacker on social.

Cap https://t.co/QkBvRe3BQW
— Rocketship 🚀 (@MackWilson) March 12, 2026

Wilson is recovering from a ribs injury that saw him land on injured reserve at the midway point of the 2025 season. Wilson was voted as a team captain last season and again looks to be a key part of Arizona's defense with coordinator Nick Rallis returning.

“He's a great linebacker. I said at the beginning during camp, I expect him to have a huge year and nothing has changed. He's just a physical guy that sets the tone, plays solid and has great range. He's elite. I'm happy he's in my fox hole. I’m happy we’re teammates," said Calais Campbell on Wilson this past season.

There's expectations Sweat will do the same. Even if he didn't request a trade, it's still reasonable to see why Sweat would be dissatisfied given the current trajectory of the organization on top of Gannon's absence.

Sweat's departure would leave an ever bigger hole in Arizona's defense at edge rusher, where the Cardinals are highly expected to address the position when the NFL draft rolls around in April.

Arizona has edge rushers such as Zaven Collins, Baron Browning and Jordan Burch, who accounted for 4.5 sacks collectively compared to Sweat's 12 alone in 2025.

With general manager Monti Ossenfort entering his fourth season at the helm, trading Sweat would only further signify Arizona's full-blown rebuild attempt after cutting ways with Kyler Murray this offseason.

If Ossenfort intends to win games in 2026, Sweat's presence feels closer to mandatory than it does optional.

If Sweat is somehow traded, his return would need to be more than fair. Exactly what that is in terms of draft picks remains to be seen, though if Rashan Gary just went for a fourth-round pick, Sweat's ceiling for compensation would be much higher than that.