The Arizona Cardinals’ season has not gone the way they’d hoped coming into the season. It was Coach Jonathan Gannon’s prove-it year to finally win a playoff game. However, after a 2-0 start, Arizona has lost seven of its last eight games and sits at the bottom of the NFC West division.

But, even though the season has gone awry, there’s one player on defense who’s having a career year.

What Does Jonathan Gannon See In Josh Sweat’s Game?

Cardinals defensive end Josh Sweat is in his eighth year in the NFL after spending his college career at Florida State. The veteran edge rusher spent the first seven years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Cardinals this offseason.

Sweat has always been productive on the field, but this season he’s taken it to a new level. “Not because of me and Nick, he’s a really good player,” Gannon said. “It’s why we acquired him.”

In Sweat’s second year in the league, he played in all 16 games with the Eagles, but wasn’t a starter. However, the young defensive end still managed to collect four sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits.

His production only grew from there as he became a full-time starter in 2021 and 2022, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl with his 7.5-sack 2021 season. Sweat set a career-high with 11 sacks and 15 TFLs in 2022 before coming back down to earth the following two years.

Now, Sweat is a veteran presence on the Cardinals, helping Arizona’s young players learn and develop the same way he did.

“What’s funny is I was talking with him the other day and (Jordan) Burch was standing there … Burch is a rookie coming in, knows the type of player that (Josh Sweat) is, all of that stuff, his history, what he’s done up until this point, how he affects the quarterback,” Gannon said. “If you look, it’s a lot of technique-driven things that he’s just on it.”

He added, “He’s helped Burch especially, because he’s a rookie coming in, of actually how to study who you’re going up against, what they like to do, what they like to do versus me is not going to be what they like to do versus you – you outwiegh me by 40 pounds. So, there’s a lot of layers.”

Jordan Burch was a third-round pick out of Oregon in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he’s played in all 10 games this season. The rookie doesn’t have a sack yet, but he has four solo tackles and 13 total tackles.

Not only has Sweat passed his knowledge to the younger players on the Cardinals, but he’s taken his game to new heights in Arizona. Through ten games in 2025, Sweat has nine sacks, 11 TFLs, and 14 quarterback hits. The veteran also has two passes defended, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

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Gannon attributed his growth in the game to his intense preparation and knowledge of his opponents.

“In the NFL, I always say it’s an open-book test. The answers are out there, but you got to study and you got to dig deep,” Gannon said. “When you’re talking about that particular position and that production, it’s a lot of one-on-one battles.

“So, you got to be able to learn how to study the opponent the correct way, and know what you’re looking for, and then go apply it on the grass. I think Sweaty does a really good job of that.”

Sweat is the Cardinals’ top-rated edge rusher, according to PFSN’s EDGE Impact, and he ranks No. 4 in sacks and No. 6 in TFLs and splash plays in the entire NFL.