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The Philadelphia Eagles should be motivated to turn things around in 2026. Philly suffered a stunning playoff loss last season and made several big moves this offseason to help prepare them for another postseason run this fall. The clock is ticking before one Eagles defender could demand a monster contract extension.
ESPN’s Tim McManus explained why it’s tricky for Philly to consider an extension for Jalen Carter in a recent article.
“This is a tricky one. Carter, 25, has shown that he can be one of the NFL’s most disruptive interior linemen, but he’s coming off a down season — largely due to shoulder injuries — and entered the league with some questions surrounding his involvement in a fatal crash in 2023,” McManus wrote on Wednesday.
Carter’s true value does not show up in raw accounting stats. He only has 108 total tackles, 13.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in three seasons. However, he is incredible at generating pressure when rushing the passer. Carter is also very disruptive at the line of scrimmage, allowing him to blow up running plays in the backfield.
The situation got a lot more complicated after Tennessee gave Jeffery Simmons an extension on June 19th. That transaction effectively raised the price tag on Carter.
“It’s understandable that Carter’s representation would shoot for the stars (Jeffery Simmons is now top of the market at $35 million annually), but there is risk involved from Philadelphia’s perspective,” McManus added. “The key will be finding a deal that offers big money for Carter and some protections for Philly. Ideally, they find that middle ground before training camp.”
The Eagles are projected to only have $11.80 million in cap space in 2027. That could make it difficult, but not impossible, to give Carter the extension he wants.
It will be fascinating to see whether or not a deal gets done before the start of training camp in late July.
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