The Dallas Cowboys are being linked to Josh Sweat as they look for more certainty off the edge before the 2026 season, while multiple NFL teams have already checked with the Arizona Cardinals about the defensive end’s availability. Sweat, a Pro Bowl pass rusher, has become one of the more watched names on the trade market even though a move is not yet in hand.
The interest is easy to understand. Sweat set a career high with 12 sacks in 2025, and Dallas still has time to add a proven pass rusher after making defensive upgrades this offseason. The Cowboys’ defense needed more waves of pressure last year, and edge rusher remains the spot where they could most use a dependable answer.
That is why Sweat keeps surfacing in the conversation. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Cardinals have received trade calls on him, and at least one insider, Johnny Venerables, has speculated that Sweat is not exactly happy in Arizona after he did not show up for OTAs this offseason. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, and his original deal carried a total value of $76 million, giving any interested team a real contract to work through as well as a player who has already shown he can finish plays.
The fit for Dallas is tied to the way the cap would work. Any trade for Sweat would likely need to happen on or after June 1 because of salary mechanics, and a post-June 1 move would create about $10.8 million in savings for Arizona. The Cowboys could also use the 2029 void year in Sweat’s contract to spread out the cap hit, which makes him more workable than a simple rental even if the price in assets is not cheap.
That does not mean Arizona is waving the white flag. Sweat may not be officially on the trade block, even with calls coming in, and the Cardinals have done little to reshape their roster for 2026. They also have Jacoby Brissett in line to start at quarterback if he gets a raise, while Dallas, after letting Jalen Thompson walk to the Cowboys, has already added on defense and is still hunting for more certainty than it has found at the edge.
For now, the path is clear even if the outcome is not. If the Cardinals decide to listen, a June 1 deal would be the cleanest way to move Sweat, and the Cowboys have the need, the timing and the contract structure to make themselves part of that market. The question is whether Arizona wants to cash in on one of its better pass rushers or keep him and wait for the season to settle the argument.
