Another new injury on defense has the Philadelphia Eagles wondering what to do before their Week 2 showdown against the Tennessee Titans, this time to defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean did not practice on Wednesday as he deals with a calf/abdomen injury he suffered in the team's 24-22 Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders. Carter also injured his wrist in that contest, so he missed practice as well, according to the Eagles' latest injury report.
Wednesday's Injury Report#PHIvsTEN pic.twitter.com/4cNjzEvY7d
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 16, 2026
That leaves the Eagles in an interesting spot with their defensive unit, with two of their top players out. Carter's latest injury, though, won't have the Eagles too stressed because they have depth on the defensive line.
Jalen Carter's injury doesn't change that Eagles are incredibly deep on the line
This Eagles defensive front is so incredibly deep that it makes sense to feel that if Carter somehow can't play against the Titans, it's not the end of the world. Philly's defense will still be just fine no matter what.
Last year, the Eagles faced the same situation, with Carter dealing with both shoulder and heel injuries throughout the year. He missed six games, and the defensive front did just fine. In fact, it demonstrated how deep they are at defensive tackle.
Jordan Davis is a big reason to believe that the Eagles will be fine, as he is coming off a great game against the Commanders. Davis finished the contest with a staggering eight tackles and four stops, and Pro Football Focus gave him the 14th-highest grade among interior defensive linemen with 77.1.
Behind him are some pretty good defensive linemen as well: Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, and Ty Robinson. Ojomo is coming off a three-tackle game in which he helped the Eagles' pass rush against the Commanders.
Young was a key depth player for the Eagles last year and helped the team through weeks when Carter wasn't playing. He had 37 tackles, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery in 17 games last year.
Robinson is an interesting player Eagles fans would love to see on the field after a stellar training camp and preseason. He put up three sacks in two preseason games, showing that he has the potential to be the next great defensive tackle on this team after being selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
We can't mitigate Carter's impact on the team, as he's a guy who can disrupt a game. He had four pressures and a blocked extra point in the Commanders game in Week 1, so he can completely flip a game on its head.
That said, the Eagles have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, and they always have because of their depth. Ojomo is well on his way to making $20 million to $25 million a year on his next contract next offseason, and Davis is one of the most underrated defensive tackles this year. Young and Robinson are younger players who need more experience, but they have the ability to be great role players on the Eagles.
No matter what, the Titans' offensive line will struggle against the Eagles. In their loss to the New York Jets last year, Tennessee gave up three sacks. Even worse, though, is that the Titans allowed 26 pressures, 21 hurries, and two quarterback hits; a rough day at the office for the offensive line.
Tennessee's running game wasn't that much better against the Jets, as they managed only 68 yards on 14 carries. The Titans might have averaged 4.9 yards per carry, but they fell so far behind that the passing game took over, which ruined their chances of beating New York.
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Carter is a great talent, and the Eagles would hate to lose him, but ultimately, they would be just fine without him. Philly's defensive line is good enough to handle their own against the Titans. If Carter can play, that's okay too, as that would be just worse news for Tennessee.
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