NFL Analyst Sends Warning To Eagles Over Star Pass Rusher

Heading into training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles , there is a lot of focus on edge rusher Josh Sweat. An integral part of the team’s defense for the last few years, how much longer will he be playing in the City of Brotherly Love?

This offseason, the Eagles signed five players to contract extensions earlier this season. Sweat was not one of them, which has Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report wondering just how badly the team wants to keep him around.

He recently put together a list of the top contract extension priorities for the Eagles. Coming in at No. 1 on that list was Sweat, who was reportedly on the trade block along with Haason Reddick in previous months.

“ Jeff Howe and Brooks Kubena of The Athletic noted that both Haason Reddick and Sweat were on the trade block for the Eagles this offseason. They obviously traded Reddick so it’s a bit unclear where that leaves the team with Sweat,” Ballentine wrote.

Since becoming a regular part of the starting lineup in 2021, Sweat has been a productive player. He earned his first Pro Bowl spot in 2021 and followed it up with a career-high 11 sacks in 2022.

Last season, Sweat had 6.5 sacks with seven tackles for loss, 23 quarterback hits and 37 total pressures. He makes a living in the opponent’s backfield and would seemingly be someone the Eagles want to keep around long-term.

The Eagles committed long-term money to Bryce Huff in free agency and have Nolan Smith ready for a larger role. Even with that, it would make a lot of sense to lock Sweat into a long-term deal with Reddick now on the New York Jets.

“Ultimately, Sweat has been a consistent pass-rusher for the Eagles. His sack totals don’t necessarily confirm it, but his pressure rate has been between 11.9 and 12.8 percent in four of the last five seasons, per Sports Info Solutions .

If Roseman considers building a collection of pass-rushers who can wreck opposing offenses as a priority then he might consider working out a contract extension that keeps Sweat around for a while,” Ballentine wrote .

When the Eagles were at their best two years ago, one of their strengths was a deep group of pass rushers. That is something they should look to replicate by inking Sweat to a long-term deal.

While the team remains high on Smith, he could have some growing pains stepping into a larger role. To this point in his career, Huff has also been only a rotational piece.

Relying on them as the sole contributors long-term off the edge would be risky. If the Eagles don’t work out an extension with Sweat now, his price tag will only go up in 2025 when he hits the open market.

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