.jpg) Sweat with thePhiladelphia Eagles in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 – Arizona Cardinals | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1997-03-29)March 29, 1997 (age 28) Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | Oscar F. Smith (Chesapeake) | ||||||||||||||||
| College | Florida State (2015–2017) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2018: 4th round, 130th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
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Josh Brandon Sweat (born March 29, 1997) is an American professionalfootballlinebacker for theArizona Cardinals of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theFlorida State Seminoles, before being selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the2018 NFL draft.
A native ofChesapeake, Virginia, Sweat attendedOscar F. Smith High School where he was teammates withAndrew Brown. In his junior year, he recorded 94tackles and helped Oscar Smith to march undefeated into the 2013VHSL 6A state championship game, where they were upset byCentreville High School 35–6.[2] In offseason football camps, Sweat impressed with his athleticism and triggered comparisons toJadeveon Clowney.[3]
Starting his senior year as the top-rated prospect in the country byESPN,[4] Sweat registered 25 tackles, 11tackles for loss, and eightsacks in the first two games of the season. During the third game of the season, againstWestern Branch High School, Sweat suffered atorn ACL which ended his season.[5] He underwent reconstructive surgery in New York performed byNew York Giants team physician Russell Warren, before graduating from Oscar Smith in December 2014 to enroll early in college.
Initially being regarded the top prospect of his class, Sweat fell in the rankings after his injury. He dropped to No. 11 in ESPN's final ranking of the class of 2015, but retained his five-star status.[6] Sweat committed to Florida State over offers fromVirginia Tech,Georgia,Ohio State, andOregon.[7]
Sweat playedcollege football at Florida State. As a freshman in 2015, Sweat played 12 games with 41 tackles, 5 sacks, aninterception, 2 passes defended, and 3fumble recoveries. As a sophomore in 2016, Sweat played 11 games with 41 tackles, 7 sacks, a pass defended, and a fumble recovery. As a junior in 2017, Sweat played 12 games with 56 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 3 passes defended. On January 4, 2018, Sweat announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the2018 NFL draft.[8]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+3⁄4 in (1.95 m) | 251 lb (114 kg) | 34+5⁄8 in (0.88 m) | 10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) | 7 ft0+1⁄8 in (2.14 m) | 4.53 s | 1.55 s | 2.61 s | 4.28 s | 6.95 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | 16 reps |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[9][10] | ||||||||||||
At the 2018NFL Combine, Sweat ranked first amongdefensive linemen in the40-yard dash andvertical jump.[11][12]
Sweat was selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the fourth round (130th overall) in the 2018 NFL draft.[13] The 130th overall pick was acquired by the Eagles in a trade that sentSam Bradford to theMinnesota Vikings.[14] He played just 68 snaps across 9 games, until he was placed on theinjured reserve on December 11, 2018 with an ankle injury.[15]
Ahead of the 2019 season, veteran teammate and fellow edge rusherChris Long announced his retirement, setting Sweat up to assume a major role in the team's defensive rotation. However, he would be beaten out in training camp byDerek Barnett for the starting spot, and would be further forced to compete for snaps withVinny Curry. Sweat would end up playing in all 16 games with zero starts, and recording just 21 tackles and four sacks.
In 2020, Sweat would find himself still primarily playing a rotational role behind Barnett. He would go on to play in 14 games with three starts, recording six sacks, 38 tackles, and three forced fumbles. He would injure his wrist in the week 15 matchup against theArizona Cardinals, and was placed on injured reserve for the second time in his career on December 26, 2020, one day before the Eagles' week 16 game.[16]
On September 18, 2021, Sweat agreed to a three-year, $40 million extension with the Eagles.[17] Sweat would finally gain the opportunity become a primary starter after teammateBrandon Graham tore hisachilles tendon in the Eagles' week 2 matchup against theSan Francisco 49ers. This opportunity would lead to Sweat having his breakout season, playing in all 16 games with 13 starts, recording seven and a half sacks, 45 tackles, and one forced fumble. A few months later, he would be named to his firstPro Bowl as an alternative, replacingNick Bosa who was unable to attend due to an injury.[18] Sweat missed the Eagles' Wild Card matchup against theTampa Bay Buccaneers after undergoing an emergency surgery to repair a ruptured artery in his stomach.[19] Sweat would be medically cleared in time for the Pro Bowl.
In 2022, Sweat would both play in and start all 16 games, in which he would record 48 tackles, 11 sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception which he returned for a touchdown.[20] Sweat helped the Eagles reachSuper Bowl LVII, where he recorded one tackle in the Eagles' 38–35 loss to theKansas City Chiefs.[21]
In 2023, Sweat would play in 17 games, and for the second straight season, start all of them, where he would record six and a half sacks, 43 tackles, and two forced fumbles. The Eagles would ultimately be defeated 32–9 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.
In 2024, Sweat played in 16 games with 15 starts, where he recorded eight sacks and 41 tackles.[22] Across the season, Sweat would become a central defensive piece of the Eagles' effort to return to the Super Bowl inSuper Bowl LIX. In the game, Sweat recorded 2.5 sacks, 6 tackles, and 3 quarterback hits, helping to secure a 40–22 revenge victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.[23] He was ranked 95th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2025.[24]
On March 10, 2025, theArizona Cardinals signed Sweat to a four-year deal worth up to $76.4 million with $41 million guaranteed.[25] Sweat recorded a career high 12 sacks in his first season with Arizona.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sack | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2018 | PHI | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | PHI | 16 | 0 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | PHI | 14 | 3 | 38 | 24 | 14 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | PHI | 16 | 13 | 45 | 19 | 26 | 7.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 48 | 31 | 17 | 11.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 42.0 | 42 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | PHI | 17 | 17 | 43 | 30 | 13 | 6.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | PHI | 16 | 15 | 41 | 27 | 14 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2025 | ARI | 17 | 17 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 12.0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Career | 121 | 81 | 267 | 168 | 99 | 55.0 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 42.0 | 42 | 1 | 13 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sack | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2018 | PHI | 0 | 0 | DNP | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | PHI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | PHI | 0 | 0 | DNP | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | PHI | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | PHI | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | PHI | 4 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 9 | 8 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
