Before Maxx Crosby was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, there was a lot of noise regarding what was being offered to the Las Vegas Raiders, including the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Ravens ended up giving the Raiders two first-round picks for Crosby, as Baltimore was reportedly the only team that made that kind of offer. A lot of the speculation with the Eagles was that they were talking to the Raiders about including defensive tackle Jalen Carter as part of the deal.
Ultimately, Philly might not have been able to give the Raiders what they wanted, as the Eagles could have left off a first-round or Day 2 pick as part of a potential trade involving Carter. Eagles fans may never know, but that will be perfectly fine with them.
Eagles fans can move on from the Jalen Carter rumors
Last season was a turbulent season for Carter, which started with the ejection from the Week 1 Dallas Cowboys game for spitting. Then a bad unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second half of the Week 3 Los Angeles Rams game. That was all topped by multiple injuries throughout the season, including two shoulder injuries at once.
Carter finished the 2025 season with 33 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, seven pass deflections, five tackles for loss, and three sacks in 11 games. He was named to his second-straight Pro Bowl in his three-year NFL career.
This offseason, Carter is in line for his fifth-year option to be picked up, and speculation is that the Eagles are talking potential contract extension with him and fellow defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Philly is looking to secure its top talent and make sure they don't leave.
The rumors have left Eagles fans split on how they feel about the team moving on from Carter in a trade. While he showed regression and some immaturity in 2025, the talent level cannot be denied. It's really a matter of whether the Eagles can work with him to be more mentally tough in games and be the dominant defender they saw during the 2024 campaign.
Read more: Disappointing Eagles veteran is as good as gone once free agency begins
Philly has some decisions to make about the future of the franchise, including Carter and whether to extend him now or just pick up the fifth-year option. Trading him seems like a crazy idea, but with general manager Howie Roseman, anything is possible.