As the Philadelphia Eagles watched key members of their dominant Super Bowl-caliber defense walk away in free agency, it was a harsh reality. The price of winning makes it hard to keep a player’s talent a secret. The price of drafting well makes it hard to keep a player in town long-term if other homegrown guys have to get paid as well.
The Eagles have a dominant force on their front line in Jalen Carter. Soon, they’ll have to reward him for his dominance and there won’t be any discounts available to them.
Carter doesn’t owe the Eagles any hometown discount. The 24-year-old was born in Florida, played his college ball in Georgia, and has only lived in Philadelphia for two years. He’s getting paid well as a ninth-overall pick, but he’s considered to be on a massive discount at this stage in his career.
If the Eagles don’t pay Carter, somebody else will. Barring any unexpected changes of heart, the Eagles are going to pay Carter. They brought him in to be the Fletcher Cox successor, after getting 12 seasons out of the former 12th overall pick. They have to envision the same type of relationship with Carter.
Recently, an Eagles insider pondered what a potential Carter deal could look like. There’s a reason why they are thinking about it already.
“Accounting for his vast potential and the ever-rising salary cap, we may be looking at the first $40 million interior lineman,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank writes. “Crazy? Maybe. But that’s where all the numbers are pointing. Carter just turned 24. He’s only been a starter for one year, and he’s got unlimited upside.”
In 2023, Carter started just one game. He played just 51 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. He came up with 33 tackles (eight for a loss), nine QB hits, and six sacks.
By year two, Carter was starting. Seeing over 80 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, he came up with 42 tackles (12 for a loss), 16 QB hits, and 4.5 sacks during the regular season. In the playoffs, he accounted for nine tackles, seven hits on the QB, and two sacks.
“He’s not going to make quarterback money, but Roseman will make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the game. And if he doesn’t quite reach $40 million per year, he’s going to be at or above Nick Bosa / Maxx Crosby / Danielle Hunter range, which is between $34 and $36 million per year,” Frank explained. “I’m thinking $37 or $38 million per year minimum. Carter is one of the best defensive players in football and he’s about to get paid for it.”
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