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Jalen Carter #98 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on November 05, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles have been surrounded by numerous rumors this offseason. One of those rumors had to do with the future of star defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
At the beginning of the offseason, Carter’s name came up in potential trade rumors. There was speculation that the Eagles may not be able to pay him long-term money, which could result in him being shipped out of town.
While the rumors were quite loud, a new update has provided a fresh outlook about Carter’s future in Philadelphia.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was asked about the Eagles and potential new contracts with both Carter and quarterback Jalen Hurts. He admitted that he hasn’t heard anything about Hurts, but it sounds like the team wants to work out a new deal with Carter soon.
“I haven’t heard about Jalen Hurts being extended and Jalen Carter, I think they’re going to want to get to that,” Schefter said.
“I think that’s going to be a down-the-line situation. Don’t think that that’s anytime soon. I think that there are some other defensive linemen out there in the NFL that have to be paid. Probably Jalen Carter is going to wait and see some of these deals. They’re going to want to get Jalen Carter done at some point in time. I don’t think it’s close right now. But, again, I won’t be surprised when that gets addressed this offseason. My guess is that’s an issue closer to training camp.”
Eagles Can’t Afford to Let Jalen Carter Walk
Sometimes, the loss of a player is much more expensive than simply paying up to keep him. That is the situation Philadelphia faces with Carter.
Since being drafted with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Carter has developed into being one of the best defensive linemen in football. He has become an elite run stuffer and has been able to put a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Last season in 12 games played, Carter racked up 33 tackles, three sacks, and seven defended passes. Throughout his three-year career, he has totaled 108 tackles, 13.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 13 defended passes in 44 games played.
Keeping Carter in town should be a top priority for the Eagles and it sounds like it is.
Jalen Hurts’ Future Seems Pretty Obvious
Back in 2023, Hurts signed a massive five-year, $255 million contract extension with Philadelphia. He still has three years left on that deal with a potential out in 2028.
However, there have been a lot of calls for the Eagles to consider making a change.
Despite the outside noise and frustration at times with Hurts, he has led the team to a lot of success. They may not be working on a new deal for him right now, but they have plenty of time to get that piece of business out of the way.
Carter seems to be the priority right now, but it would be surprising if Philadelphia doesn’t work out a new deal with Hurts over the next year or two.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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