TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat was activated off the physically unable to perform list Monday and returned to the field for the first time since the end of last season.
Sweat, who was put on the PUP list at the onset of training camp in July because of a knee injury, did not participate in Arizona's voluntary offseason program. He attended the mandatory minicamp in June but did not participate in any practices.
After Saturday's preseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur reiterated his standard response to questions about Sweat: "Josh is doing good." Sweat was apparently good enough to return to practice two days later.
Over the summer, LaFleur talked about ensuring players who were away from the team had a ramp-up period to get their bodies back into the right shape. On Saturday, however, LaFleur said that an edge rusher returning to the field after a long absence is different from other positions.
"Like I always say with the guys that are edge rushers, they rush the quarterback," LaFleur said. "It's a little different than the rhythm and timing of a quarterback. I'm just being real about it. It's one thing, rhythm and timing and working in combination with an offensive line. It's another thing when you are in that stance on third down and you're finding your point. And no doubt in my mind, you want to get better at football, you got to be out there in football. But there is a little difference there, in my opinion. Not everyone would agree with me on that."
Sweat is coming off the best season of his career. He finished with a career-high 12 sacks in 2025 but was named a Pro Bowl alternate instead of a starter -- a decision that irked him.
After Monday's practice, tight end Trey McBride said it was "cool" to see Sweat back on the field.
"It's been a while since we've seen him out in his uniform," McBride said. "So, it was refreshing for us. Eager to see him get going. He's obviously a tremendous player. He's a guy who's been in this league for a long time and had a lot of success. So, to have him back on the field is going to be huge for us."
The Cardinals waived running back Trey Benson on Monday. He tore the meniscus in his left knee in Week 4 last season and then experienced discomfort in the knee in early August.
