July 28, 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Tuesday that they have signed interior defensive lineman Jalen Carter to a four-year contract extension. Some money details, per Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Breaking: Eagles are signing two-time Pro-Bowl selection Jalen Carter to a four-year, $152 million extension worth up to $160 million, including $106 million guaranteed that now makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history, per his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus.… pic.twitter.com/R8VZfbsKTy
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2026
Carter had one year left on his rookie contract, and the team exercised his fifth-year option in 2027. The "new money" portion of the extension is effectively from 2028 to 2031. He was owed $3,723,570 in cash in 2026 and $27,127,000 in cash in 2027. Those two years plus the four-year extension more accurately means that Carter is under contract for the next six years for a little under $183 million, or roughly $30.5 million per season.
In 2024, Carter was a menace all season on the interior, despite facing constant double teams. He made his first Pro Bowl and earned his first All-Pro nod after his regular season performance, and made arguably the two biggest plays of the season in the Divisional Round against the Rams, when he sacked Matthew Stafford on a late third down and forced a quick, off-target throw on fourth down, saving the Eagles' season.
In the Super Bowl, Carter was a major reason why the Eagles' defensive line obliterated the Chiefs' offensive line, as he often occupied the Chiefs' two best linemen, allowing his teammates to dominate favorable one-on-one matchups across the board otherwise.
However, Carter's 2025 season got off to a weird, bad start, when he was ejected Week 1 against the Cowboys before either team ran an offensive play after he spit on Dak Prescott. He then proceeded to have a disappointing season, collecting 33 tackles, three sacks, and seven batted passes in 11 games. However, he did block kicks in games against the Rams and Bills that the Eagles might have otherwise lost.
Carter had shoulder issues throughout the 2025 season. He missed most of training camp with a shoulder injury, and then had a procedure on both shoulders following a bad performance against the Chicago Bears Week 13. It's probably worth noting here that Carter led all NFL interior defensive linemen with 1,068 snaps played the prior season in 2024. Much like a heavy workload probably caught up to Saquon Barkley on the offensive side of the ball in 2025, the same thing may have happened to Carter on defense.
Still, even after a down year, Carter is arguably the Eagles' most talented player, and Vic Fangio noted during the spring that he seemed to be stronger this offseason. Opposing offenses must game plan for Carter first and foremost when facing the Eagles' defense, and the Eagles paid him commensurately.
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