Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio continues not to mince words when it comes to his players.
In his media availability on Tuesday, Fangio was quite direct regarding Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter's conditioning, noting that he is a bit behind.
"There are a lot of reasons for that,...He has had a shoulder issue, which has limited his time on the practice field. The shorter practices that we do, the lack of reps from multiple reasons. All that."
Carter is behind the eight ball after less than stellar season "debut"
Fangio relates Carter's sub-optimal conditioning, leading back to a shoulder issue, which ironically was not disclosed during the Eagles' Week 2 injury report; however, he was a full participant in week one. After Carter's Week 1 "dismissal" for spitting at Dak Prescott, he played in 48 snaps (80%) this past weekend, recording two tackles, one tackle for loss, and three quarterback hits.
While Carter had seemed to be grabbing his arm several times throughout the Eagles' Week 2 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Carter appears to be "toughing it out" in hopes of working through his conditioning and shoulder issues. Fangio also stated that “He had some good rushes, but he needs to round into better shape,”.
The 2023 first-round draft pick is in a crucial year of his career, as Carter is eligible for his first contract extension post his rookie deal. Earlier this year, CBS Sports wrote that Carter could be in line for a record-setting contract.
Last season, Carter recorded 42 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. After a six-sack season in his rookie year, he had a 4.5 sack season. While the Eagles have seen their 2022 first-round pick, Jordan Davis, step up over the past two weeks, it appears that Davis is slightly behind him as the Eagles' season is starting to gain momentum.
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Carter and the Eagles are set to take on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 at Lincoln Financial Field.