Josh Sweat leads the Eagles in sacks — and has a newfound approach to leadership

Last week, Tarron Jackson realized he’s been hearing Josh Sweat’s voice more frequently this year than he’s used to in football settings.

It hit him after practice. The defensive line typically huddles, and someone breaks down the group. The practice squad edge rusher noticed that Sweat had been offering a bit of wisdom before the collective “D-line” chant. Even in meetings, Jackson hears Sweat being more vocal, in addition to his typical lead-by-example approach. The change in his behavior was stark enough to compel Jackson to mention it to his teammate.

“I was just joking, I was like, ‘Sweat, I’m proud of you,’” Jackson said Friday. “He ain’t never did nothing like that, you know what I’m saying?”

With old age — relative old age — comes a newfound approach to leadership for the 27-year-old Sweat. In his seventh season with the team, he jokes with his fellow edge rushers that he’s the “old head” of the group now that Brandon Graham is out for the season with a triceps tear. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, who round out the Eagles’ three-man edge rusher rotation, are 23.

Sweat isn’t just speaking up more. He’s also more careful about what he’s saying and when he’s saying it. In the past, he said he took a “playful” and “goofy” approach to interactions with his teammates. Now, he tries to be more serious, especially in practice, knowing that he’s setting an example for the young edge rushers.

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“I’ve got to watch what I say sometimes,” Sweat said. “I can’t be how I usually would be, you know what I mean? Even though I know what I want to say. But I’ve got to watch, because I’ve got guys listening. I know I don’t like to think of it this way, but people look up to me, you know what I mean? They want to see what I do.”

Sweat strives to set an example with his play on game day, too. Fourteen games into the season, the 6-foot-5, 265-pound edge rusher has notched a team-high eight sacks, which trails only his 2022 output of 11.

Last season, Sweat collected 6½ sacks through the first nine games, then went cold for the final eight, which coincided with the team’s collective decline. He pushed back on the notion that taking a smaller percentage of the defensive snaps this season (71% in 2023 to 64% in 2024) is the reason for the uptick in his production. Sweat also hesitated to say he has done anything different from an individual standpoint to account for his consistency this year.

“I’m going to be real with you,” Sweat said. “We’re rushing as a group better. Like, I can win all day. But if I can’t get to [the quarterback] in time, it doesn’t even matter. So we’re rushing better together. We’re covering better. Plain and simple. We can’t even hide it no more. We were not covering, and we were not rushing as a group together [last year].”

Sweat benefitted from the Eagles’ group-rush approach in their 27-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. In the first quarter, Smith backed the Steelers right tackle into the lap of Russell Wilson, forcing the quarterback off of his spot and into the arms of Sweat for a sack.

He repaid the favor in the second quarter. With less than a minute remaining in the half as the Steelers were knocking outside the red zone, Sweat pushed the left tackle into Wilson, who attempted to scramble before Smith took him down.

Even when Sweat is dropping into coverage on simulated pressures, in which the defense shows extra rushers presnap and ultimately sends just four, his teammates are getting the job done up front. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Sweat took away a shallow crossing route as Nakobe Dean blitzed, helping Smith sack a befuddled Lamar Jackson. That effort and execution is rooted in a sense of confidence in Vic Fangio, the Eagles defensive coordinator, according to Sweat.

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“I’ll tell you what, I can trust everything he calls, even if I don’t like it,” Sweat said. “Even when I’m dropping and stuff. I’m like, ‘hey,’ because I’m dropping, they’re getting sacks on blitzes. I might have to watch it, but I’m like, ‘Damn.’ Yeah, I trust everything he calls. And when you can do that, you really want to go execute it for him, because it’s going to help the team.”

His young teammates are paying attention to his efforts. Hunt regularly watches Sweat’s film and asks the veteran questions, especially about the tells he picks up on in the backfield or the tackle’s tendencies. The third-round rookie out of Houston Christian said he admires how Sweat doesn’t let the tackles dictate his pass-rush plan.

“He plays his game, regardless,” Hunt said. “A lot of times, tackles try to mess with your sets or how you get off the ball or what moves you do. But he plays his game, he knows what he wants to work, and then he works it. So they can’t really adjust or change how he plays. He’s always going to play aggressive, play fast, and play physical.”

During training camp, Sweat said he wanted to rebound from his 2023 showing with his “best season yet.” The job isn’t finished. With three games remaining in the regular season, Sweat is still holding himself to a high standard as he sets an example for the rest of the young edge rushers corps.

“I just want to keep making plays any way I can,” Sweat said. “Whatever play that is. I ain’t going to say I’m jinxing myself, but I just want to keep being consistent.

“Keep going, and I should be able to achieve what I said I would this year.”

The Eagles play in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Northwest Stadium.