The Philadelphia Eagles will look to avoid a third straight loss when they face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14, making Monday's affair a must-win situation. Unfortunately, Thursday provided news that the Eagles' upcoming challenge will be even tougher, as they'll be without star defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who's expected to be "week-to-week" with dual-shoulder injuries, per NFL insider Adam Schefter.
According to Schefter, Carter underwent surgery on Monday to take care of both shoulders. He added in a follow-up post that the situation "easily could turn out to be a multi-week absence," although the "injured reserve doesn't seem to be an option now."
Carter's absence, especially this late in the season, is far from what the Eagles wanted. He hasn't been perfect during the 2025 campaign, but he's still an important cornerstone on Philadelphia's defensive line, leading the DL room with 581 snaps through the first 13 weeks.
At the same time, though, Carter's looming missed time could be the perfect opportunity to give the Eagles more clarity on their D-line situation.
Jalen Carter's Absence Could Be a Much-Needed Break
Nobody wants to see Carter miss time, but his injury could provide him with the perfect reset opportunity. According to The Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski, the ex-Georgia Bulldog paced all NFL interior defensive linemen with a whopping 1,068 snaps. Throw in the nearly 600 he's played this season, and it isn't surprising that his body is breaking down.
Pro Football Focus marks don't always tell a whole story, but Carter's overall defense (60.8), run stoppage (45.9), tackling (25.3), and pass rushing (76.3) grades are the lowest they've been. He's also missed a career-worst 28.2% of tackles, and that's without mentioning the fine he landed for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 1. It's been a rough year for the 24-year-old, both physically and, clearly, mentally.
Even if it's just a week or two off, that time to heal could be exactly what Carter needs. Perhaps his underwhelming performance this season is directly tied to his high-volume snap count. Capitalizing on the mini-break and returning stronger and healthier for the postseason could make all the difference in how the Eagles will finish the year.
Spotlight Turns to Ty Robinson, Moro Ojomo with Jalen Carter Out
As great as it'll be for Carter to get some time off (even if the circumstances aren't great), the Eagles still need someone to step up and fill his void. Enter: Ty Robinson and Moro Ojomo.
Robinson, who was drafted 111th overall in April, has barely seen the field this season. The former Nebraska Cornhusker has played just 35 defensive snaps in his rookie year, with all of those opportunities coming between Weeks 4 and 8. Robinson has consistently been a weekly inactive since then due to a lack of production (just one pressure), indicating that he isn't as far along in his development as the Eagles hoped he'd be. At the same time, they may not have a choice but to play him with Carter out.
If the Eagles aren't willing to put Robinson back in the spotlight until next season, Ojomo's snap count could skyrocket in the coming weeks. The third-year defender is already up to a career-high five starts through 12 appearances so far, and just played a season-high 61 defensive snaps last season, hinting that he's ready to step into Carter's role.
Interestingly, increasing Ojomo's playing time could also help the Eagles with their future goals. Jordan Davis will need to be paid after the 2026 season, and Carter will be due his payday after that. Given that Ojomo will be an unrestricted free agent in March 2027, Philly can't afford to pay everyone, and it's safe to say that he'd likely be the odd man out — especially since Robinson could fill his spot for cheaper.
Carter's shoulder injury will clearly have an impact on the Eagles' defensive line, both now and down the line. Ojomo and Robinson will be looked at as the next men up for the time being, and how the duo navigate the upcoming weeks will shape what their Philly futures look like.