Eagles Defense Will Be Bolstered By Return Of Star Defensive Lineman

PHILADELPHIA – There won’t be a game-time decision for Jalen Carter on Sunday like there was last Thursday against the Giants. The Eagles' defensive lineman will play against the Vikings.

“I feel good,” said Carter after Wednesday’s practice. “I’m gonna play this week.”

Carter, who was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's practice, was a late scratch against the Giants with a heel injury that popped up during practice in the days leading up to what would become a 34-17 loss to New York.

“It just came out of nowhere,” he said about the heel. “I started feeling some pain. Got it looked at. They told me what it was and moved on from there. I was very close (to playing). At that time, when I walked out (onto the field), I thought there was a chance I would play, but it felt like it wasn’t right.”

Carter Ready For Vikings QB Challenge

Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Eagles likely erred on the side of caution, though Carter said the notorious MetLife Stadium turf and its bad rep wasn’t factored in.

“I have to play on it once every year, maybe twice,” he said.

Nevertheless, the Eagles may have taken the same cautious approach they took with Carter by playing Nakobe Dean just six snaps, all on special teams, none on defense, and Quinyon Mitchell, who aggravated a hamstring in the second quarter and was ultimately ruled out.

Carter's absence left a hole in the Eagles’ defense. Even though he is still in search of his first sack, he has six quarterback hits, which is tied for the most between Weeks 2 and 5 with Calais Campbell, Maliek Collins, and Chris Jones, and 10 QB pressures.

Being relegated to the sidelines with an injury was something relatively new for Carter. Remember, he has played through a nagging shoulder injury since training camp, and, he said feels a lot better after missing a game.

“I missed (being on the field) a lot,” he said. “Being on the sidelines was never my thing. I’ve never missed a game like that my whole life, college and all. I wanted to be out there to help the guys and be an impact to the team, but I couldn’t do that at the time. We’re on to this week but thankfully we play (the Giants) again next week.”

Not that he was looking that far ahead. Carter understands the challenges of playing the Vikings. His defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, was asked about the Eagles’ struggles to stop the run game, which was especially true against the Giants when Cam Skattebo had 98 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The DC said QB runs have hurt the defense.

New York rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart had 58 yards on 13 carries, including a 20-yard TD scamper to give the Giants an early lead.

Minnesota hasn’t announced which quarterback will play – either Carson Wentz or J.J. McCarthy – but both have the ability to scramble for yards.

“We just have to keep the quarterbacks in the pocket,” said Carter. “Like Vic said in one of his interviews, one of our struggles is keeping the quarterback in the pocket and not letting him scramble. That’s what we’re working on this week. They have two quarterbacks over there capable of scrambling. If we stop that and keep them in the pocket – and we’ll learn more this week – but that’s our main goal right now.”

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