Pro Football Rumors
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is known around the NFL for his salary cap management and foresight in getting extensions done early.
That makes it somewhat of a surprise that Philadelphia has not signed 2023 first-round pick Jalen Carter to a long-term deal. The 25-year-old became extension-eligible this offseason, but the team is currently hesitant to pony up for their star defensive tackle, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
The situation has also been complicated by Jeffery Simmons‘ new contract with the Titans. His $35.3MM AAV raised the positional market by $4MM over Chris Jones‘ current deal with the Chiefs. Carter, who has emerged as one of the most impactful defensive tackles in the game, could demand a similar sum. In his first two seasons, he recorded 10.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles with a second-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 and Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors the following year. Last season, his production dropped to three sacks, five TFLs, and zero forced fumbles, in large part due to a six-game absence caused by surgery on both shoulders. He still earned a Pro Bowl nod for his impact, which is much larger than his traditional stat production suggest.
But character concerns about Carter have persisted since a 2023 street racing incident that resulted in the death of a staffer and a teammate at the University of Georgia. He received two fines for hitting opponents in 2024 and was ejected for spitting on Dak Prescott before Week 1 last year. That could be a contributing factor to the Eagles’ reluctance to sign Carter to a long-term extension, Breer adds.
Carter is still an excellent player that Philadelphia likely wants to keep in the long run, but a deal this year might have to come at a more team-friendly price rather than a record-setting one.
