With the NFL legal tampering period underway, teams have been active, adding necessary pieces through free agency. And the Arizona Cardinals got their guy, signing Super Bowl champion edge rusher Josh Sweat to a four-year contract, per Adam Schefter on X.
“Josh Sweat and the Cardinals reached agreement on a 4-year deal worth $76.4 million, including $41 million guaranteed,” Schefter wrote. “Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus.”F
Following his performance in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs, there was a strong belief that Sweat would sign elsewhere.
However, the contract details are a bit surprising.
Sweat was seen as one of the top edge rushers available in free agency, the Cardinals locked the 27-year-old down for the next few years.
Although the verbiage of his agreement states that it’s a four-year deal, NFL contracts usually have an out for the team before the deal truly expires. NFL contracts are a tricky business, but that’s why guaranteed money is always a draw for players signing deals.
However — from the agent’s point of view — it looks better for them if their client agrees to a four-year deal worth $76.4 million (only $41 million guaranteed) than signing a two-year deal worth $41 million.
But regardless of the verbiage, the Cardinals’ defense gets a much-needed boost from the edge with Sweat.
In 2024 alone, Sweat ended the season with 41 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and eight sacks. And in the playoffs, Sweat was a major contributing factor to the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.
Against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Sweat was credited with six tackles, three quarterback hits, and two-and-a-half sacks.
So, for a Cardinals defense that ended 2024 with 41 sacks, they get a premier pass rusher in Sweat.
Now, 41 sacks don’t put Arizona in a spot where they’re seen as a bad pass-rushing team. However, that’s always a position for teams that could probably use some extra juice.
In fact, the Cleveland Browns — who just signed Myles Garrett to a historic contract — could take the best pass-rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft: Abdul Carter.
Elite pass rushers are rare to come by, so — when they’re available in free agency — teams should probably at least try to sign them.
And to beat out the other bidding teams, the Cardinals were aggressive in their offseason splash in free agency, signing Josh Sweat to a four-year contract worth $76.4 million and $41 million guaranteed.
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