Day 3 of training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles was declared a win for the defense, according to head coach Nick Sirianni.
All practice, the defensive front got pressure on Jalen Hurts, and the secondary made things tough on the receivers. It was clear, though, that one man was the main one making life miserable for the offense: Jalen Carter.
"Just a reminder that Jalen Carter is a monster," NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro said. "The highest paid defensive tackle in NFL history has moments in practice where he completely wrecks it. He blew past Tyler Steen during 11-on-11s for a sack, blew up a screen pass to the running back and was just constantly applying pressure to Hurts.
And he also batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage. After not having a single batted pass in his rookie season, Carter has 13 over the past two seasons. Among all defensive linemen, just Cameron Heyward (17), Andrew Van Ginkel (16) and Brian Burns (15) have more over the last two years."
Jalen Carter is earning every dollar from that contract extension
Who could have thought that throwing more money at Carter would turn up the energy level? Money certainly does talk.
Right before training camp began, Carter signed a four-year, $152 million contract extension with $106 million guaranteed. The deal could be worth up to $160 million, but the $38 million-per-year value is the largest for a defensive tackle in NFL history.
Last season might have scared some into potentially making that move since there were character issues with the spitting incident in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. His heel and shoulders injuries that cost him six games were also a concern. The overall performance was not the same as it was in 2024, with Pro Football Focus giving him a 60 overall grade, ranking 58th out of 134 eligible interior defensive linemen.
That didn't matter, though, because when he was on the field, Carter dominated despite the grades, character concerns, or injuries. He earned his second straight Pro Bowl selection in three years, racking up 33 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, seven pass deflections, five tackles for loss, three sacks, and one block.
This really shouldn't be too much of a surprise, though, as the Eagles have seen this from Carter for a long time. He is truly a disruptor on the line who can get pressure on the quarterback and stop the run.
Carter and Jordan Davis have been paired together for a long time, and there might not be a better defensive tackle duo in the NFL. Davis' weight loss from last season proved to be the difference in his game, landing him a contract extension earlier in the offseason.
Read more: Why panic button is being slammed way too soon on Eagles' offense
The only question now is whether Carter can continue his success entering a pivotal 2026 season for the franchise. He's proven already through three practices that he earned that contract, but how will he look when the regular season gets underway?
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