Before diving into which teams should be interested in Sweat, it’s worth examining what the Cardinals could realistically ask for in a deal.
Pass-rushers are typically in demand, and, in a vacuum, Sweat should interest most teams in need of a pass rush. However, he will turn 30 next spring and has only reached double-digit sacks in two of his eight pro seasons—though he logged 55 over his last five.
Sweat doesn’t have the same long-term upside as Jaelan Phillips, who was traded for a third-round pick at last year’s deadline. His value is further diminished by the fact that edge-defenders like Joey Bosa, Von Miller, Kyle Van Noy, Jadeveon Clowney, and Leonard Floyd are still available and free to sign without any trade compensation.
On the flip side, Sweat has three years left on a four-year, $76.4 million contract. The Cardinals could save $10.9 million by trading him after June 1, but they’d also trigger a $31.8 million dead-cap hit—and trading Sweat before June 1 would cost an additional $5.6 million in 2026 cap space.
Arizona isn’t likely to eat that much dead money without getting a reasonable return for Sweat. They’re likely to start the bidding at the same third-round price that the Philadelphia Eagles paid for a half-season of Phillips, even if teams aren’t eager to match.
Projected Trade Value: Conditional 2027 4th-round pick that can become a 3rd-rounder based on statistical thresholds.
