The Philadelphia Eagles have always loved and backed Jalen Carter. They knew what they were getting into and the character concerns when they took him after falling in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and, so far, that has paid off.
Granted, Carter has had some questionable moments, including his Week 1 blunder vs. the Dallas Cowboys last season, where he was ejected for spitting towards quarterback Dak Prescott. He didn't have his best season in 2025, but the physicality and talent are just so remarkable that it's easy to understand why the Eagles didn't look for his replacement in this year's draft. Now, with an extension looming large, GM Howie Roseman will have no choice but to pay him big bucks.
The Eagles Will Give Jalen Carter a Big Contract Extension
The Eagles strengthened the trenches on offense by taking Miami's Mark Bell in the third round. Then, they ignored the other side of the line of scrimmage until they used a late-round pick to take a flier on viral sensation Uar Bernard, a physical specimen of a defensive tackle who might still be a year or two away from making an impact.
As such, Carter is likely in line for a big payday. He's coming off logging 33 tackles, seven batted passes, and three sacks in just 11 games, adding some clutch blocked kicks to save his team against the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. In his Eagles career over 43 games, he has logged 108 total tackles, 37 QB hits, 25 TFLs, and 13.5 sacks.
Shoulder injuries kept him on the shelf for most of training camp last summer, and he also missed time with that ailment during the season. He went under the knife with a minor procedure on both shoulders, but he should be ready to go for the start of the upcoming campaign. He never had durability issues before that and even played 1,141 snaps in the 2024 campaign.
Even after a somewhat down season by his standards, Carter is one of the defensive anchors of Vic Fangio's unit, and when he's not getting out of trouble, he's an absolute game-wrecker in the interior of the defensive line.
Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman have always trusted him to stay on track, and while that hasn't always been the case, an extension is more than justified from a football perspective. Still, given his well-documented character issues and his volatility, the team might have some legitimate concerns about his demeanor and how he may carry himself after securing generational wealth in his next contract.
Still, there's no clear-cut replacement on the roster right now, even if Byron Young can also be a solid rotational piece for Fangio. Regardless of how much everyone wants to watch Bernard wreak havoc, this is still Carter's job to lose. And based on how the Eagles move, he'll get an extension in short order.
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