Eagles Star Admits To Hearing From Patriots Fans As Free Agency Looms
Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat is keeping his focus on Super Bowl LIX even with plenty of distractions surrounding him.
One of those distractions is the impending free agency of the seven-year NFL veteran. Patriots fans certainly wouldn’t mind seeing the 27-year-old Sweat leave the Eagles behind and continue his career with New England. They have let that opinion be known to him, too.
Sweat revealed to CLNS Media’s Taylor Kyles during Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday that Patriots fans keep reaching out to him about his upcoming decision once the new league year begins in March.
Patriots fans probably aren’t going to to sway Sweat one way or another, but it’s easy to see why they want him to pack his bags for New England. Sweat could fill a vital need for the Patriots after they struggled to get after the quarterback in 2024, registering an NFL-low 28 sacks.
And with the way Sweat, who registered eight sacks and 41 tackles during the regular season, describes himself, he feels like a natural fit for the Patriots.
“(A) football player. I affect the game in many ways,” Sweat told Kyles. “I get sacks, whatever. I make tackles. … I pressure a lot. All-around football player.”
Sweat certainly will look for a sizable pay day after he restructured his contract this past offseason. He signed a three-year, $40 million contract extension with the Eagles in 2021. The Patriots enter the offseason with the most cap space in the league, so they definitely have the money to sign Sweat. Even ESPN’s NFL insider Jeremy Fowler could see Sweat ending up on the Patriots.
But it won’t be easy for Sweat to leave Philadelphia, especially if the Eagles come away with a Super Bowl title on Sunday. Sweat has played only for the Eagles in his career and has accumulated 43 career sacks.
Sweat has yet to take down the opposing quarterback during two postseason games this year, though. But Patriots fans will watch intently to see if he can get to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.