Cardinals Star Sweat Calls Out Pro Bowl Snub: 'It Was Taken Away From Me'
Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat didn't mince words Wednesday when addressing his shocking Pro Bowl snub. The eighth-year veteran was named an alternate despite being the only NFC player with double-digit sacks to miss the cut.
"I'm upset because there's only two individual things that you can get and it's Pro Bowl and All Pro," Sweat declared. "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."
The Numbers Don't Lie
Sweat's statistics speak volumes about this injustice. The defensive star has already matched his career high of 11.0 sacks while leading the entire NFL with 4.0 forced fumbles. Even more telling, he finished second in NFC fan voting among outside linebackers.
"It's like I don't know what else I could have done," Sweat said. "The popularity was there. You could say losing team, it didn't matter. I had the popularity."
Under Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, both former Philadelphia Eagles coaches who worked with Sweat, the defender has flourished in a scheme that allows him to move freely across the line.
Politics Over Performance
The selection becomes even more questionable when examining who made it over Sweat. Two Los Angeles Rams players, Byron Young and Jared Verse, received Pro Bowl nods despite weaker credentials. Young matched Sweat's 11 sacks but finished lower in fan voting, while Verse managed just 6.5 sacks.
"The fans said, 'He should be the guy we want him in.' My play showed that I should be in," Sweat explained. "But somewhere, some popularity within the league said that he shouldn't be in."
This smells like the same establishment politics that plague every American institution. When merit gets pushed aside for insider connections and market preferences, hardworking Americans get screwed.
Fighting for What's Earned
Sweat's frustration represents something bigger than football. It's about earning recognition through hard work and results, not political games or favoritism.
"I just want what I earned and what I worked for," he said, embodying the American spirit of individual achievement.
The Pro Bowl snub makes Sweat feel like his "efforts were wasted," though he remains committed to playing the game he loves. He also expressed disappointment for the fans who voted for him in good faith.
"This year I got the fan vote and you're going to tell me all of a sudden the players and coaches don't respect me anymore? Man, hell nah," Sweat concluded.
In a league where performance should matter most, Josh Sweat got robbed. Period.