The Green Bay Packers have what seems like an obvious problem.There’s also what seems like an obvious solution.With the likelihood that Micah Parsons will miss the start of the regular season – the first four games if he opens on the physically unable to perform list – Green Bay’s pass rush appears underpowered.With Parsons coming back from a torn ACL, Rashan Gary traded to the Cowboys and Kingsley Enagbare signing with the Jets, Green Bay’s edge rushers to start this season combined for four sacks last season. The lack of a proven pass rush could be an enormous issue. While the Packers won’t face any marquee quarterbacks to start the season, any starting-caliber NFL quarterback when given a clean pocket can pick apart a defense.General manager Brian Gutekunst could take the passive approach of hoping that the young pass rushers he’s assembled will rise to the occasion. Or, Gutekunst could do what he did last year, when he did the most aggressive thing imaginable and traded for Parsons.Arizona Cardinals edge defender Josh Sweat could be available. The Packers could be interested.Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) passes while being rushed by Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Josh Sweat. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn ImagesThe dots are ridiculously easy to connect.When new Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, Sweat had 7.5 sacks to earn Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and 11 sacks and a career-high 15 tackles for losses in 2022.In free agency last offseason, Sweat signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Cardinals, which reunited him with Gannon. Sweat set career highs with 12 sacks and four forced fumbles. He had five sacks in the first five games. Gannon was a reason why he signed with the Cardinals, and it paid dividends on the field.“The scheme and stuff, you can play fast in it,” Sweat said.Gannon was thrilled to get back together with Sweat for reasons beyond sacks.“Guys pick his brain about certain things,” Gannon said. “He’ll help in that way, because he’s played a lot of ball. He’s been successful. I always say, ‘You want to know ball, talk to the players.’ He’s one of those guys you can talk to.”The Cardinals reportedly “have received trade calls” about Sweat, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.Sources: The #Cardinals have received trade calls on Pro Bowl DE Josh Sweat.Sweat had 12 sacks last season in his first year with Arizona and had a close relationship with Jonathan Gannon, whom the Cardinals moved on from. pic.twitter.com/ateZ6r4bi4— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 26, 2026Sweat’s contract could make a trade at least a little complicated. With $38 million guaranteed, the Cardinals would have to swallow a lot of dead cap money to make it happen. From Green Bay’s perspective, he would come with cap charges of $10.88 million in 2026 – a relative bargain – but $18.1 million in 2027 and 2028.Trading DE Josh SweatNew Team Acquires2026: $10.88M*2027: $18.1M2028: $18.1M#Cardinals Dead Cap(assumes post 6/1)2026: $5.5M2027: $16.5M*$9.78M guaranteed— Spotrac (@spotrac) May 27, 2026Really, though, Sweat could be a one-year rental because the signing bonus is Arizona’s problem. The enormous 2027 and 2028 cap charges are all base salary and roster bonuses so could be erased from the ledger.The trade compensation might not be much. One high-ranking executive told Packers On SI that a fifth-round pick might get it done because Sweat is 29 and expensive. While he’s been durable with only two missed games the past five seasons, the executive said Sweat is “on his last leg.” When the Cardinals signed Sweat in 2025, an executive told The Athletic that the coaches would have to “manage” his knee.Another executive told The Athletic: “Having that familiarity [with Gannon] will help, but do I think Sweat is a great player? No. He helps them but doesn’t move the needle a great deal.”Still, despite the issues, the executive who spoke with Packers On SI said he’d make the deal, given the fact Sweat is a much “more accomplished” pass rusher than any of Green Bay’s edge defenders. In fact, the returning group of Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox, Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver and Arron Mosby have a combined 15.5 sacks in their careers.The Cardinals are coached by Mike LaFleur, who is the brother of Packers coach Matt LaFleur. Asked about the trade rumors recently, he said:“I don't even read into the offers. I don't look at them. I'm just excited at the fact that I don't have to game plan against this guy. I got to know him when I first got this job. He's a good dude and he goes about his process.“He's not the first guy to go about his process the way that he is in terms of how he's training and all of that. I've been around a lot of really good football players that have done this. But like I said, I'm happy I don't have to game plan against him.”Of the 100 edge defenders with at least 177 pass-rushing opportunities last season, Sweat ranked 26th in pass-rush win rate and 23rd in pass-rushing productivity, a Pro Football Focus metric that measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.While Gannon likes to drop his edges into coverage, that has not been Sweat’s role. Last season, he was on the field for 372 passing-game snaps. He dropped into coverage on only 17.“I want to be seen as the guy who can make a difference,” Sweat said after signing with the Cardinals. “The Packers could use a pass rusher who can make a difference. Perhaps a third reunion between Gannon and Sweat could help the Packers not just survive without Parsons but thrive. As Gannon said last year:“I know he can impact the game, which is one of the reasons we signed him.”SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTERAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow