Eagles Reportedly Eyeing Vikings $76 Million Edge Rusher

The Philadelphia Eagles need to sort out the pass rush this offseason.

Philadelphia put a Band-Aid on the pass rush ahead of the trade deadline by acquiring Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins. Phillips was phenomenal in the second half of the season for the Eagles, but it was known that his stint with the team could be short-lived with free agency coming.

With free agency set to kick off on Monday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Eagles are "attempting" to re-sign Phillips and that one contingency option the franchise has checked in on is a trade for Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler Jonathan Greenard.

"While I never sensed Philly heavily pursued [Maxx Crosby], the Eagles are active in the pass-rush market," Fowler wrote. "People inside the league believe Philly is attempting to re-sign Phillips to a deal that would pay him well above $20 million per year. But Phillips will have a strong market if he chooses to enter free agency.

The Eagles are looking around

Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) gets pressure on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"As a contingency, the Eagles are believed to have inquired about Minnesota's Jonathan Greenard. The Vikings have received many inquiries on Greenard, who will be far cheaper to acquire than Crosby. A Day 2 pick probably gets a deal done. But complicating matters is Greenard's contract. Teams say he wants a new deal. His current contract is set to pay him $38 million over the next two years. [Boye Mafe] is also considered a viable edge option if the Phillips deal doesn't materialize."

If Phillips walks, a trade for Vikings Pro Bowler Greenard wouldn't hurt. He had three sacks and 38 total tackles in 12 games played. Greenard was much more productive in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, he had 12 1/2 sacks in 15 games for the Houston Texans. In 2024, he had 12 sacks in 17 games while earning the lone Pro Bowl nod of his career in his first season in Minnesota. He signed a four-year, $76 million deal that has two years left on it.

One thing the addition of Phillips showed is that the Eagles need some sort of elite pass rusher, whether it's him on a new deal or another player of his caliber. The Eagles tried to get through the first half of the 2025 season without a game-breaker. The defense struggled. Bringing in Phillips helped to transform the defense. In a perfect world, Phillips will be back. If he doesn't return, then Greenard would be a good pickup.