Kyler Murray, Cardinals Fired Up for Big Free Agent Signing

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals finally landed that big fish free agent.

Outside linebacker Josh Sweat is the newest addition to the desert after the Cardinals inked him to a four-year, $76.4 million deal.

Adding an edge rusher was a top priority for Arizona, as their pass rush has been lacking in recent years without a viable threat aligned on the edge.

Sweat certainly hopes to fill that role, and his new teammates are fired up.

Kyler Murray

Woke up in South Korea to some good news, we got a dog coming to the Valley @SweatyJ_9 Welcome bro!🥋
— Kyler Murray (@K1) March 10, 2025

Mack Wilson Jr.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/alXibFFQxP
— MWS 🚀 (@MackWilSr) March 10, 2025

Paris Johnson Jr.

cardinals.
— Paris Johnson Jr. (@ParisJohnsonJr) March 10, 2025

Cardinals social media was pretty fired up about the move:

The Josh Sweat acquisition is significant on multiple fronts but perhaps most importantly it shows that the Arizona Cardinals can land top free agents under Monti Ossenfort.

Fair or not, the GM had to eventually check that box.

That's a win they can build on.
— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) March 10, 2025

Josh Sweat among edge rushers since 2022:

🔴 25.5 sacks (18th)
⚪️ 165 pressures (16th)

Re-united with Jonathan Gannon https://t.co/sf2puguz4g pic.twitter.com/0CFD2vyP8J
— PFF ARZ Cardinals (@PFF_Cardinals) March 10, 2025

I take all the offenses back sweet monti . Thank for sweat 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— angrycardsfan 🏈 (@angrycards) March 10, 2025

The more you look into the sweat deal the better it gets. Given he had his best season/s under JG, the deal is under 20 mil/yr, only about 10mil/yr is Gteed and the FA market has been ridiculous overpay after ridiculous overpay+ the cap went up over 20 mil. Good deal by monti🤝
— K1SinceDay1 (@KSzn2021) March 10, 2025

Sweat ranks 15th among NFL edge rushers in terms of annual average at $19.1 million. He's tallied 33 sacks the last four years and has played at least 16 games in each of those seasons.

The familiarity factor with Sweat surely helped, as key Cardinals figures such as head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis previously worked with him in Philadelphia.

Speaking with reporters at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Gannon was asked about potentially signing familiar players:

"Anytime you have real-time experience with a player, you kind of know a little bit. Free agency, just like all players, there is a little bit of unknown with all those guys. That decreases the unknown with me because I was with them for a couple of years," he said.

"We'll look at all the players in free agency and see if they fit us. I know there is a money component to everything. At the end of the day, we'll do what's best for us and try to help try to acquire guys who are going to help us win."

Sweat's contract is the largest Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has awarded in his three years running the show in terms of length, total value, annual average and guaranteed money.

It's a big get for the Cardinals, and their players recognize it.