Josh Sweat is back with Jonathan Gannon. This time, they'll reunite in the desert, the site of the last game they shared as coach and player before the former Eagles defensive coordinator took over the Cardinals.
Sweat views it as a good omen -- and he can't wait to prove the Cardinals right in spending lavishly to bring him west.
"I want to be seen as the guy who can make a difference," Sweat said, via the team's official site. "I really haven't had, I won't say the opportunity, but we've been very talented over (in Philly).
"Here I can definitely show, with an ascending team, how I'm helping. I'm excited, dog."
When Gannon last coached Sweat, he had a couple of career years with the Eagles, including a 2022 season in which Philadelphia reached Super Bowl LVII and Sweat tallied a career-best 11 sacks as part of a pass rush that flirted with history. It ended bitterly, with the Eagles failing to bring down Patrick Mahomes for four quarters in a heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs.
Two years later, Sweat recorded 2.5 sacks on Mahomes and the Eagles dominated the Chiefs, a triumph that was ultimately a precursor for a big pay day for Sweat. With the combined experiences in tow, Sweat is hoping to achieve what he and Gannon couldn't in the desert: emerge victorious.
"That's how I want every game to be," he said of his performance in Super Bowl LIX. "That's how I hope it continues to be."
If Sweat intended to navigate free agency with the goal of finding a place that might maximize his talents, he did so correctly, moving west to team up with Gannon to the tune of $76.4 million over four years. The choice made perfect sense: If anybody was going to help him earn his money, it was the Cardinals coach who, as Sweat said, "didn't put me in that shell."
Instead, Sweat can spread his wings with the Cardinals, where he knows how to play under Gannon. The hope is he can produce similar results that match his new pay grade, too.
Regardless of outcome, Sweat feels confident in the decision he made. The $76.4 million doesn't hurt, either.
"You never know if you're really gonna be happy," Sweat said, "but I just wanted to be in the position where I think I'm gonna end up being happiest."
