PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles signed Jalen Carter to a four-year, $152 million extension that makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. The franchise’s commitment is clear. The deal’s magnitude will ripple across the league. The decision to make Carter an organizational cornerstone will impact the team through the end of this decade — and beyond.

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The Athletic’s Eagles beat reporters, Zach Berman and Brooks Kubena, are here to break down the news. They share insights and reactions to the biggest training camp story for the Eagles so far.

What are your
thoughts on the deal?

Kubena: My first thought is both parties delivered a photo finish. The timing spares the Eagles and Carter from the questions and speculation that would have unfolded when training camp opened to the media Wednesday. Now, questions will focus on the historic commitment the Eagles have made to someone they view as a franchise pillar. Carter’s talent is unquestionable. He needed to show more maturity and dependability after his Week 1 ejection last year, and there will be questions about how Carter has proved that to the organization since then. He also had injections in both shoulders last season, which clearly did not prevent the Eagles from committing to him long term. Roseman has long invested in the trenches above all else. He traded up for Carter in 2023 — in time to allow him to learn in person from Fletcher Cox. The Eagles keep their core intact, now with one of the NFL’s best and youngest defenders under a deal that runs at least through 2031.

Berman: This was a smart move for the Eagles. Carter is a premium player — a true blue-chip talent with the upside to be the defensive player of the year, and those players are hard to find. He’s a building block for the Eagles. It’s a steep price, but it wasn’t going to go down. I was surprised that it stretched this far, but it was still his first offseason as an offseason-eligible player for a new deal. That’s how the Eagles have operated with their foundational players drafted in recent years, from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith to Landon Dickerson to Cam Jurgens. His influence on the defense cannot be measured by his statistics. When Carter is at his best, he can change a game. (Sean McVay might have another Super Bowl if not for the way Carter played against the Rams on the final drive in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game in 2025). The Eagles can and should expect more from him — whether it’s consistency or maturity — and my guess is that was part of the calculation in the investment. It’s incumbent upon Carter to understand as much. The Eagles made clear how much they valued him with this record-breaking deal. Carter is one of the best players in the league. The Eagles were smart to be aggressive.

Should the Eagles have waited to make a decision?

Kubena: The only major reason the Eagles should have waited is if they were uncertain about a long-term commitment. Carter’s youth, production, talent and accolades as a two-time Pro Bowler were always going to make this a record-setting deal — especially negotiating with high-powered agent Drew Rosenhaus. If Roseman didn’t want to sign Carter to a long-term extension, Roseman knew a long list of other teams would have been interested. Several teams had already reportedly inquired about trading for Carter last year. What could the Eagles have bartered for with a huge haul for Carter, plus their 2028 first-rounder from the A.J. Brown trade? But the longer the Eagles waited to sign or trade Carter, the bigger the story his future would have become. Philadelphia’s clamorous sports culture would have made it very difficult to prevent narratives from permeating into the locker room. Much better to put the story to bed and enter the season with a sense of togetherness backed by action.

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Berman: Not if they believe in the player. They would have paid a higher price for waiting. You can make the argument that six more months of information might have been worth a few more million per year. Still, my view is that if you weren’t comfortable making the investment with the information you had through three years, then they would have been better off trading him and getting significant value while he had two years remaining on his deal than waiting. The highest-paid defensive tackle at the start of the offseason was Chris Jones at $31.75 million per season. Jeffrey Simmons’ deal pushed the market to north of $36 million. Had they waited for next offseason, the number might have started with a four in front of it. Further, there’s benefit in signing an extension when two years are remaining on the deal. The Eagles did this with DeVonta Smith, folding the extension into the current deal. The four-year, $152 million contract extension is the headline, but it’s added onto around $31 million he has remaining over the next two years. A six-year, $183 million deal will age well for an elite 25-year-old defensive tackle.

What does this extension mean for the future?

Kubena: The Eagles now have four defensive players under long-term deals: Carter, Jordan Davis, Zack Baun and Jonathan Greenard. The 2024 draft class is next up: Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Extending DeJean first might make sense, given that the Eagles picked him in the second round, and they can exercise a fifth-year option on Mitchell. Both defensive backs were named first-team All-Pros last year. Roseman now has the enviable difficulty of fitting two more massive deals into future budgets. The longtime executive spent the 2025 offseason doing some spring cleaning, partly in preparation for Carter’s extension — and the defense’s depth subsequently took a hit that season. Let’s not forget that the Eagles must also soon decide whether to sign Jalen Hurts to a second contract extension. That will also require a massive deal. How will Roseman create cap space? And how influential will the side effects be?

Berman: The Eagles have been preparing to keep their young, ascending defensive talent. Carter is now a core player with Jordan Davis on the defensive line, with Mitchell and DeJean next in line for record-setting deals after the season. We’ll see what happens with Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. This likely also means that Moro Ojomo signs elsewhere next offseason, given the deals the Eagles paid Carter and Davis. (Ojomo could be like Milton Williams in March, cashing in for an eye-popping deal with another team.) Look for the Eagles to continue focusing on getting less expensive on offense with the defense taking up big contracts. You already saw that shift this offseason with the A.J. Brown trade. They’re going to need to draft young, cost-controlled offensive talent with the same success they have on defense. It’s going to be especially important on the offensive line.

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