Josh Sweat’s name is back at the center of NFL trade speculation, and this time the noise is louder. According to Jason La Canfora, multiple league executives believe the Cardinals edge rusher will be the next notable player dealt before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, with one general manager telling La Canfora flatly: “I hear he wants out.” The report lands days after Arizona’s 36-24 loss to the Giants dropped the Cardinals to 1-3 on the season.
Sweat signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with Arizona in March 2025, reuniting with then-head coach Jonathan Gannon after seven seasons in Philadelphia. That marriage didn’t last — Gannon was fired during the offseason — and Sweat is reportedly unhappy with both the coaching change and his own financial situation. Per La Canfora, the Cardinals have Sweat under contract for two more years beyond 2026 at $17 million annually, but none of that money is guaranteed past this season. That structure gives Arizona leverage to either extend him or move him, and growing belief around the league is trending toward the latter.
Why the Cardinals’ Stance May Be Softening
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has repeatedly said the team has no interest in trading Sweat, even when the rumors first surfaced over the summer. But a 1-3 start — now with road losses mounting and a roster that looks further from contention than expected — tends to change a front office’s calculus fast. La Canfora notes that while Arizona has publicly signaled Sweat won’t be dealt, “there may be more to the situation,” and with a run on edge defenders expected as the deadline approaches, demand should be significant.
Production has cooled off considerably from last year’s career year. Sweat racked up a personal-best 12.0 sacks in his first season in Arizona, but through four games in 2026 he has just one sack and seven tackles, playing a part-time role behind new defensive coordinator Nick Rallis after Gannon’s exit. Whether that drop-off is scheme, health (he was limited in practice last week with a groin issue), or motivation-related, it hasn’t stopped teams from calling. The Dallas Cowboys have been floated as a strong fit — Dallas ranks near the bottom of the league with just four sacks as a team this season and has reportedly let it be known they want to add a pass rusher before the deadline. The Chicago Bears have also been mentioned as a potential suitor, with evaluators pointing to Chicago’s need for a complementary edge piece next to Montez Sweat (no relation).
What It Means for the Betting Market
None of this is moving Arizona’s number in a vacuum — the Cardinals were already priced as one of the league’s longest shots, sitting near +30000 for the Super Bowl and around +1400 to +2000 to make the playoffs across major books even before the Sweat chatter intensified. But a trade would be one more signal that Arizona is leaning into a sell-and-rebuild posture, which matters for anyone watching Arizona’s division and playoff futures trend further in the wrong direction as the deadline nears.
On the other side, the ripple effect is more interesting for contenders. Dallas sits around +1475 to win the NFC and has been publicly tied to chasing more pass-rush help all season — adding a proven double-digit-sack talent like Sweat, even in a diminished role, would be the kind of move that nudges a team’s defensive-metric-driven futures price. Given how thin the market is on established sack artists via trade, any team that lands Sweat figures to see at least modest buy-in reflected in its postseason and conference-odds movement, while the sack-leader and defensive player props for whichever team acquires him would also be worth tracking once a deal — if any — is finalized. For now, this remains speculation a month out from the deadline, but the sourcing suggests it’s gaining steam rather than fading.
