Jordan Davis just forced the Eagles into a massive decision they can’t avoid

It wasn’t a straightforward decision at the time, but it sure looks brilliant now.

General manager Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles made a notable short-term investment in defensive tackle Jordan Davis when they exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract back in April. That means Davis is under contract through the 2026 season, when he’ll be paid a fully-guaranteed $12.9 million, per Spotrac.

That number already looks like a major bargain. Davis entered Week 14 having notched career highs in total QB pressures, sacks, and tackles over the Eagles’ first 12 games of the season, according to Pro Football Focus.

But any Eagles fan watching Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers felt the seismic impact of a player who’s been building momentum since the start of training camp. If Davis wasn’t already on Roseman’s radar for a contact extension — he might have to be now after his dominant performance in L.A. 

If not? Eagles fans could be saying goodbye to yet another star player their team drafted, developed, and decided not to pay.

Philadelphia Eagles DT Jordan Davis just entered NFL superstardom (and earned himself a lot of money) 

Eagles fans have seen this movie before. While Moro Ojomo has yielded major returns this year as a seventh-round pick in 2023, it was painful to lose an ascending star like Milton Williams in free agency. Williams is currently on injured reserve with an ankle injury, but he’s been a dominating force for Mike Vrabel and the 11-2 New England Patriots this season, and has been worth every penny of the $104 million free agent contract that was far outside of Philly’s price range.

Roseman tends to favor extending key players early with a palatable, multi-year contract (often with added void years), over waiting until the 11th hour, when a player’s market can get out of whack. It’s why the team essentially shrugged off free agent departures like Williiams and Josh Sweat back in March, and it’s why the writing’s on the wall for top pending free agents like Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship.

Davis isn’t scheduled to hit free agency until 2027, but he’ll enter that same grey area at the start of the next league year. If the Eagles don’t get to Davis early and add term to his deal, he could be the latest to ball out in a contract year and get paid handsomely elsewhere.

Extending Davis this offseason actually makes a ton of sense, as Roseman could use the new deal to lower Davis’ 2026 salary cap number and create additional space. But it’s definitely complicated.

Dean turns 25 this month, and his value in the middle of Vic Fangio’s defense is undeniable. Edge Jaelan Phillips has been so good since he arrived at the trade deadline, Philly could have interest in bringing him back. Then, there’s Jalen Carter, who becomes extension-eligible himself in 2026 and will be looking to get paid among the top defensive linemen in football after helping the team win a Super Bowl last year.

There’s only so much money to go around. The Eagles are currently projected to have around $12 million in 2026 salary cap space, per Over the Cap, due to their heavy investments in guys like Saquon Barkley, Lane Johnson, and Cam Jurgens over the last calendar year. 

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Similar to 2025, there will be cap casualties, and Davis is quickly climbing the priority list of a player the Eagles have to pay (but potentially can’t).