Overview
- Arizona edge rusher Josh Sweat was listed as a Pro Bowl alternate rather than making the initial 2026 roster.
- Sweat recorded 11.0 sacks and an NFL‑leading 4 forced fumbles, making him the only NFC defender with double‑digit sacks left off the team.
- He finished second in NFC fan voting at outside linebacker, but final selections also weighed player and coach ballots equally.
- Brian Burns, Byron Young and Jared Verse were the NFC outside linebackers chosen, while Arizona’s Trey McBride and Budda Baker were the Cardinals’ only initial Pro Bowlers.
- Sweat called the outcome “taken away” from him and could still be elevated if a selected player withdraws, a path he previously followed as a 2021 alternate.