The Arizona Cardinals are hoping that the efforts they've made to their defense over the last couple of seasons will pay off in the upcoming season.
The Cardinals once again committed to those efforts in the 2025 NFL Draft, using six of their seven selections on defensive players. Even in free agency, Arizona went big-game hunting with five new additions on the defensive side of the ball. But none were perhaps bigger than former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat, who Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport labeled as one of the best moves of the 2025 NFL offseason.
“When last we saw Josh Sweat, he was giving Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes nightmares in Super Bowl LIX,” Davenport said. “That monstrous performance earned Sweat an equally robust contract from the Cardinals, where he will join the re-signed Baron Browning and youngster B.J. Ojulari on a pass rush that was middle of the pack in sacks a year ago. Got to get after the quarterback to succeed in today’s NFL.”
Sweat came away from the 2024 season not only with a Super Bowl ring but also with eight regular-season sacks, the second-most of his career. When including the postseason, he posted 13 total sacks, further cementing his status as one of the most disruptive pass rushers during the Eagles’ championship run.
ESPN shared similar praise for the move, stating: “The Cardinals got the help they've been seeking in their pass rush. In Sweat, Arizona has a Day 1 starter off the edge and someone who's expected to make an instant impact.”
Besides his elite skill set and veteran talent at the position, another reason why Davenport likely considers this one of the best moves of the offseason is because it reunites Sweat with his former defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022 — Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. During those two years, Gannon was able to get the best out of Sweat, who combined for 17.5 sacks and three forced fumbles under his guidance.
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Sweat is just another piece in what feels like a slowly and strategically built Arizona defense. For their sake, after signing him to a three-year, $61.9 million deal (per, Spotrac), the Cardinals had better hope he proves to be the centerpiece that helps propel their team to the next level in 2025.
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