Jalen Carter contract details and what his historic extension means for the Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles locked down their interior defensive line early in training camp, extending former first round pick Jalen Carter to a four-year rookie extension. Carter signed for $152 million to remain in Philadelphia and it’s a move that isn’t really surprising and anchors their defense. When they offloaded Josh Sweat a few years ago, they needed someone to step up on the defensive line. They believe Carter can be that guy and now with a defensive line that features Carter and Jordan Davis, the Eagles are in a good position. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Carter’s extension and what it means for the Eagles and getting back to contending for a Super Bowl. 

Jalen Carter contract details: What to know about lucrative extension

Carter effectively reset the market for defensive tackles, raking in $106 million guaranteed money in his new deal, making him the highest paid defensive tackle in NFL history. It’s a move that honestly shouldn’t surprise anybody. Carter, though character issues have been a problem, is one of the most productive interior defensive lineman in the NFL right now. He has 13.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in his first three seasons. 

The Eagles are getting their money’s worth out of Carter. Though he dropped off a bit last year, he’s still a core piece of making the Eagles’ run defense elite. Carter is in the same conversation as Chris Jones, Jeffery Simmons and Quinnen Williams. Last season he had a 78.7 pass rush grade per Pro Football Focus, which was ranked ninth among qualified interior defensive lineman. 

Carter has earned his contract and the Eagles have their long term answer to having a strong pass rush. They still need a solid pass rusher off the edge, but having Carter inked long term will go a long way to keeping this defense at a championship caliber.

What Jalen Carter extension means for Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have mastered the art of void years and find the loop holes in the NFL’s salary cap rules so realistically, this move won’t plague them from a cap standpoint. Carter being one of the highest paid players on the team is a must if they want to continue to compete for Super Bowls. That said, it does bring up an interesting point about what they’re going to do with Jalen Hurts. He carries nearly a $32 million cap hit and won’t be a free agent until 2029. 

His dead cap hit is way too much to take on right now, but if things boil over, could be something to monitor. The Eagles won’t outright release him, but they could look to trade him. For now, that’s a non-factor. For now, they have their best players locked up long term and that’s the most important thing, especially when you look at the rest of the NFC. 

Does Jalen Carter extension make Philadelphia Eagles legit Super Bowl contenders?

The Eagles are going to need a better offensive showing if they want to be real Super Bowl contenders. That said, locking up Carter long term goes a long way to making them contenders in the NFC. The rest of the NFC is full of some of the best defensive lineman, including Myles Garrett. If they want to compete with the best, they need to have a defense that can slow down offenses. 

Carter is too good of a player for them to even consider trading him. FanSided.com teased some potential trades, but the Eagles realized that sending Carter away and having to gameplan against him simply isn’t worth it. What Carter gives this Philadelphia defense is assurance that it’s still at an elite level. 

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