Is Cardinals Star Pass Rusher Being Disrespected?

The NFL's 2025 free agent class wasn't the wealthiest in the pass rush department. Still, the Arizona Cardinals managed to land one of the biggest names on the market, signing pass rusher Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.4 million deal.

Sweat immediately became the premier pass rusher in a lackluster room. While GM Monti Ossenfort has continued to dump resources (both in free agency and the NFL Draft) into bolstering the defensive front, Sweat carries a career's worth of success, and an incredible 2024 playoff run.

But Pro Football Focus' Ryan Smith doesn't seem to be too carried away by Sweat's Super Bowl Heroics. Smith compiled a list of the top 32 pass rushers in the NFL, and Arizona's newest QB-hunter came in 25th, below names like Yaya Diaby and Nik Bonitto.

Smith's rationale was accurate, but paltry in nature:

"Sweat capped off a stellar seven-year run with the Eagles by recording 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl, then signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent in March. He showed improvement against the run in 2024, earning a 67.8 grade after posting a career-low 54.2 in 2023," Smith wrote.

It's not as if he's wrong to avoid overselling Sweat. Sweat's production volume has not been of the same level as some of the more elite names in the game. It would be foolish to compare Sweat to the likes of Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby.

But what sets Sweat apart is his ability to rise in the most crucial of moments. If not for the Eagles' high-octane offense, he might have been the easy Super Bowl MVP with his 2.5 sacks of Patrick Mahomes.

And while PFF's grades may suggest he's been average to below average, Sweat has recorded 25.5 sacks in the past three years, and 31 TFLs in that span.

Sweat is a quality pass rusher, and will likely benefit from the fact that Arizona didn't stop with him. With a bevy of pass rush options and a much-improved interior DL, the Cardinals' $76.4 million man won't be asked to carry the entire load himself.

If he plays up to the potential he's shown in his seven-year career, he'll be a sturdy contributor on a rotationally-inclined defense, and could play himself closer to the elite conversations among pass rushers if he plays the way he did down the stretch of 2024.