Quick: What NFC pass rusher with double-digit sack numbers was the only player not voted to this year’s Pro Bowl?
If you said the Arizona Cardinals EDGE rusher Josh Sweat, you would be correct. He has 11.0
sacks and was not named to the Pro Bowl as a starter, reserve, or alternate.
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Usually, teams with losing records find themselves with very few members of the current year’s Pro Bowl and All-Pro squads, which is very true with the Cardinals, as TE Trey McBride and S Budda Baker were the lone representatives from Arizona’s lineup. Even the reserve and alternate spots are devoid of any players from the Cards.
But Sweat has had a tremendous season. His 4.0 forced fumbles this season not only lead the NFL but are also a career high. In 2021, while his Philadelphia Eagles teammates DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox were named starters on the Pro Bowl, Sweat was voted as an alternate and was called up to play when Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers became injured. So far, that has been his only taste of the coveted All-Star mention.
The Pro Bowl is no longer a game to watch, but the recognition is critical among NFL players. There are very few individual achievement awards given out each season, in addition to the MVP and Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year trophies. The Pro Bowl and All-Pro are important, especially during new contract negotiations.
And the talented pass rusher isn’t taking it lightly. Sweat vented to ESPN Arizona’s Josh Weinfuss:
“I’m upset because there are only two individual things that you can get and it’s Pro Bowl and All-Pro. And I got one taken away from me. I’m just flat out saying it was taken away from me — and it ain’t the first time.”
Sweat matched his career high from 2022 in sacks with 11.0 this year. It is his first season in Arizona after signing a four-year deal this past spring worth up to $76.4 million with $41 million guaranteed.
In addition to the sacks and forced fumbles, the remainder of his stats so far are 15 starts, 27 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, 16 QB hits, two batted passes, 26 pressures, seven knockdowns, and eight hurries. He has played on 497 snaps, which is 50% of all defensive plays.
Arizona’s defensive scheme is very familiar to Sweat in that head coach Jonathan Gannon was once the DC for the Eagles, as well as the Cardinals’ current DC Nick Rallis, who was the linebacker coach with Philly.
While with Philadelphia, Sweat was stationed on one side of the defense in every game, while with Arizona, he is allowed to move from side to side and play free, similar to DE Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. This prevents the opposing offensive line’s gameplan to eliminate double teams and schemes designed just for him.
Currently, Sweat is ranked #9 in sacks. Garrett leads this category with 22 and is chasing the single-season record of 22.5 sacks.
In all fairness, and perhaps the best explanation for Sweat’s omission, back in the day, the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams were voted on by the players and coaches. Now, fans vote online. And not only that, but they can vote every single day. It’s not like folks have one vote and that’s it. So, the more active teams can – and do – have a legion of people within their organization that are in the business of voting their own players in.
Basically, voters brought other players who are more familiar onto the list instead of Sweat. Which is a fallacy of the voting process. Makes zero sense.
Just imagine if the Cardinals had 30 people, no, make that 75, whose job it is to vote on their own athletes every day. Then perhaps Arizona would have six players named to the Pro Bowl, just like the San Francisco 49ers have accomplished. Food for thought for seasons to come.
Sweat has seen firsthand the illusion that is today’s Pro Bowl:
“It’s like I don’t know what else I could have done at that point. I don’t know what else I could have done. Now previous years, maybe you could have said he didn’t have the popularity, maybe he didn’t get the fan vote.”
He wanted to have an impressive season in his first year in Arizona in order to justify the huge contract the organization gave him. And it is his feeling that he has produced in a big way. Yet, his production wasn’t noticed or acknowledged.
He continued:
“It does still signify that you’re one of the top guys in the league, regardless of how you made it,” Sweat said. “You were one of those pictures up there initially that got to be seen, and I get nothing. So, that’s why it’s important.”
Ditto. That’s why it’s important.
