The Philadelphia Eagles are going to have to spend a lot of money on their defense in the next few years — the contracts for second-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter might even set an NFL record for interior defensive linemen.
That means the Eagles might have to part ways with some players who have been mainstays on the defense for a long time, including edge rusher Josh Sweat, who leads the Eagles with 8.0 sacks and is playing on a 1-year, $10 million contract in 2024.
ESPN’s Ben Solak thinks the Arizona Cardinals could be a destination for Sweat in 2025, where he would be reunited with Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022.
“In the third year of the Jonathan Gannon-Monti Ossenfort era, a playoff berth is desperately needed, so the Cardinals will start getting aggressive with their cap space,” Solak wrote on January 6. “They will add both Josh Sweat, an old friend of Gannon’s from his Eagles days, and Osa Odighizuwa to a defensive line sorely in need of immediate contributors.”
Sweat had his best seasons in the pros under Gannon, with 18.5 sacks, 93 tackles, 22 TFL, 5 pass deflections, 36 QB hits and 1 interception in 2021 and 2022, including making his lone Pro Bowl in 2021 and helping lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl following the 2022 season.
Eagles Bet Big on Edge Rusher in Free Agency
For all the good the Eagles have done in 2024 by going 14-3 and securing the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs, they did so despite making a major mistake in free agency — and at Sweat’s position. It’s also the reason they might have to part ways with Sweat.
The Eagles took a big swing when they lured edge rusher Bryce Huff away from the New York Jets with a 3-year, $51.1 million free agent contract in March 2024 despite Huff only playing in half of the Jets’ snaps in 2023 and putting up big numbers.
It’s a massive deal that pays Huff approximately $17 million per season and landed on the list of Bleacher Report’s “Most Regrettable Mistakes” made by NFL teams in 2024 after Huff has struggled with production and injuries.
Through 12 games in 2024, Huff has 13 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 TFL and 4 QB hits after putting up career highs of 29 tackles, 10.0 sacks, 10 TFL and 21 QB hits in 2023 with the Jets.
Consider that 2 other free agents signed by the Eagles for less money combined than Huff were named Pro Bowlers with running back Saquon Barkley (3 years, $37.75 million) and inside linebacker Zack Baun (1 year, $1.6 million).
Barkley was the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. Baun leads the Eagles with 151 tackles.
“The Philadelphia Eagles may have buyer’s remorse regarding their three-year, $51.1 million pact with Bryce Huff,” Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton wrote on December 30. “Last year, the defensive end recorded career highs in sacks (10.5) and pressures (33) with the New York Jets. He earned a massive pay raise but hasn’t elevated or even maintained his level of performance in Philadelphia. Huff opened the season as a starter in Vic Fangio’s defense, but he’s played in a limited role.”
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