The Lions need to add an edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and Josh Sweat is now very prominent in that conversation

Going into Super Bowl LIX, he was easy to put on lists of free agents from the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs the Detroit Lions could or should have on their radar. Then Josh Sweat took the field for the Eagles.

The MVP award, regular season or Super Bowl, is a quarterback award. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was the worthy Super Bowl MVP after his performance, but Sweat (2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, six pressures according to Next Gen Stats) was right there as a proverbial runner-up.

Sweat also, naturally, made himself a lot of money on Sunday night. He signed a reworked one-year, $10 million deal with the Eagles last offseason, betting on himself in the process. He had eight sacks and 54 quarterback pressures (according to Pro Football Focus) during the regular season, and his Super Bowl performance further solidified him as arguably the top free agent edge rusher this year.

Josh Sweat proved why the Lions should target him in free agency

The big question with Sweat is what he’ll cost to sign. Spotrac has him projected at $18.8 million per year, on a projected three-year deal ($56.46 million total). He doesn’t have all the splashy numbers of the best edge rushers in the league, but he is also a good run defender and the lack of elite free agent pass rushers this year further enhances his value.

Sweat will turn 28 in late-March, and this might be his one shot at a big contract. Some free agent suitors make particular sense for him (Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, etc.), but any team in need of edge rusher help that has money to spend (like the Lions) should be interested in him.

Sweat recently changed agents as he moves toward free agency, hiring Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha to represent him. That points to him wanting to get the most money he can, as he should.

Sweat of course wanted to savor the moment after winning the Super Bowl before worrying about his future, but he did (however obviously) mention fit as an important part of the equation.

“Money’s important, sure, but I want to be in the right situation,” Sweat said, via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I don’t know what it looks like for me now, but I’m happy.”

Other than a return to the Eagles, the Lions would present a situation where Sweat can play for one of the best teams in the NFC next season and until further notice.

The Lions may ultimately get priced out of what could be a significant bidding war for Sweat, but similar to another conversation involving an edge rusher that doesn’t mean they should just sit out of the proceedings