Philadelphia, PA – July 3, 2025
He’s no longer wearing midnight green, but his legacy still echoes through the walls of Lincoln Financial Field. Josh Sweat, the relentless edge rusher who helped bring a Super Bowl back to Philadelphia, just cracked the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for 2025 — landing at No. 95. For fans of the Birds, it’s a bittersweet moment: a nod to greatness, and a reminder of what’s been lost.
After signing a massive four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, Sweat became one of the most sought-after defensive weapons in football. But to Eagles fans, he’ll always be more than a contract figure or a stat line. He’s the guy who sacked Patrick Mahomes 2.5 times in Super Bowl LIX. The man who turned a fourth-round pick into franchise history. The hero who made everything feel possible.
“Sweat’s story is Philly’s story,” Lane Johnson once said. “Underdog. Grinder. Never stops.”
It’s no wonder he became the first member of the 2024 Eagles championship roster to make this year’s Top 100 list. In a 2-minute video posted by the NFL, current Eagles like Zack Baun, Cooper DeJean, and Will Shipley spoke with admiration about their former teammate’s relentless motor and unshakable leadership.
Over his seven seasons in Philadelphia, Sweat was a living, breathing testament to development and dedication. After playing just nine games as a rookie in 2018, he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and peaked statistically in 2022 with 11.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and even a pick-six. In 2024, he led the team in sacks (8.0) and made his biggest mark on the biggest stage — Super Bowl LIX — with a defensive performance that had fans calling for him to be named MVP.
But the front office made a business decision. They couldn’t meet the number. And so, Sweat walked — not with bitterness, but with gratitude. Now reunited in Arizona with his former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, he’ll lead a Cardinals defense desperate for bite.
Yet even as he suits up in red and white, his shadow remains long in Philly. For young players like Jalyx Hunt, Sweat’s rise is a blueprint. The Eagles have a reputation for turning overlooked draft picks into monsters, and Sweat was Exhibit A.
No one can question what he gave to this city. And no one will forget the way he played — violent, smart, and full of heart.
Josh Sweat may be gone, but his jersey still hangs in the hearts of Eagles Nation.
Stay tuned to ESPN for more NFL coverage as training camp approaches.
