Eagles Made Logical Decision With Jalen Carter, But Pitfalls Remain

The biggest storyline heading into Philadelphia Eagles training camp didn't even last into training camp.

Jalen Carter and the Eagles have agreed to a contract extension, the largest for a defensive tackle in NFL history. Carter will be with the Eagles until the 2031 season, agreeing to a four-year contract extension for $152 million.

Carter will received $106 million guaranteed, passing Jeffery Simmons for the largest amount of guaranteed money to a defensive tackle (Simmons got $100 million guaranteed in June). The average annual salary is $38 million, also the largest for a defensive tackle in league history. Carter's deal can go up to $160 million, so the average annual salary could reach $40 million.

This contract is a game changer, not just for the Eagles but for the NFL as well. Carter and his reputation had a barometer for an extension and the Eagles made sure this was taken care of before camp started.

The money was right and the Eagles were wise to get this done now. This six-week storyline in the doldrums of summer didn't even have legs. No "hold in," no sitting out of practice, nothing.

Credit to the Eagles and Carter for getting this deal done, but there are some pitfalls ahead. The pressure is on Carter now, for better or worse.

What Carter has to prove going forward on the field

The Eagles and Carter were talking extension for months (this stuff just doesn't happen overnight), but the Eagles were right to have reservations on paying Carter this kind of money.

On-field performance was the biggest concern. Carter didn't have a dominant year last season, not one that commands a $38 million a year salary.

Yes, Carter was a Pro Bowler. He didn't play like a Pro Bowl player.

Carter played just 11 games last season, having 41 pressures, 12 QB hits, and 3.0 sacks. The pressure rate was up from 10.4% to 10.8%, but the QB hits, sacks, and pressures were down from Carter's breakout 2024 season. Carter still had seven pass breakups, but didn't have a forced fumble and the tackles for loss decreased.

Part of this decline in production had to do with injury. A shoulder injury caused Carter to miss games, as he couldn't lift weights for much of the season. Hard to improve your game if you can't get physically stronger in a physically demanding sport like football.

The Eagles don't give Carter this money if he's not 100% healthy going into camp. Carter is healthy, so the pressure is on him to live up to that contract.

What about Carter's issues off the field?

This was where contract extension talks would get tricky. Carter has been good off the field for the most part, as the Eagles have protected him from doing or saying the wrong thing.

Does Carter need that protection? Of course not, but it's wise for the Eagles and the culture they have in place to do so. For the encounters with Carter over the years, he has done a good job handling his business on and off the field.

Carter has been accountable during his three years on the Eagles. There still were kid gloves attached as he nurtured his way around the NFL.

The major incident with Carter off the field actually occurred on the field. That was the spitting incident with Dak Prescott that caused Carter to be ejected from the Eagles' season opener. Even though Carter didn't get get a suspension by the league, that was a stain on his reputation.

The optics were bad. Doing that in the NFL Kickoff Game -- on national television in the first game of the season -- was bad look for Carter. This was the start of a subpar season, for a player that deserves high expectations.

Why Eagles were wise to get this deal done now

The Eagles avoided any drama that comes if they didn't extend Carter. No talk of a "hold in," no potential holdout, and no trade speculation the longer the lack of extension talks went.

That was the immediate dilemma. This Carter extension will look like a bargain in a few years.

Look how long Simmons was the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league -- it barely lasted a month. Simmons was the barometer for Carter, and Carter is the barometer for everyone else at his position now.

The defensive tackles that are up for contracts? Via Vea wants a contract extension and requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The New York Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals because they couldn't pay him. Now the Bengals are on the clock to pay Lawrence.

Vea likely will get paid more than Carter, or there is at least a baromoter for how much he wants to make. Lawrence is in the same boat, and Vea and Lawrence can both argue they have better resumes than Carter -- or are currently better players.

The Eagles set the music for the dance. They controlled the narrative.

Carter is a premium player -- and part of their next generation

The Eagles make sure to take care of their premium players, and have done it in the past.

Jalen Hurts was paid in April of 2023. Landon Dickerson was paid in March of 2024 and Cam Jurgens in April of 2025. A.J. Brown was given an extension in April of 2024, and so was DeVonta Smith.

Saquon Barkley got a new extension in March of 2025. Jordan Davis got one in March of this year. The Eagles get their homegrown players signed early, or premium players they've acquired and signed.

The Eagles set the tone. They don't wait until the last minute and overreact, like the Cowboys. They know how to manage the cap well with void years and pay their players a large amount of cash -- especially premium players.

Carter was a premium player, so it wasn't a surprise the Eagles got the deal done. There was no way this organization was going to let Brown and Carter ina span of a few months.

Again, the pressure is on Carter. The Eagles held up their end of the bargain.

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