It was a tough break for the Philadelphia Eagles when they were unable to get edge rusher Jaelan Phillips on a new contract and instead signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Landing $30 million per year was a great deal for Phillips, but every Eagles fan understood why general manager Howie Roseman passed on it, as it is not a friendly deal to offer. Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport was not a fan of the contract himself, as he listed Phillips as one of the 10 worst free agent signings of the offseason.
"Edge-rushers regularly clean up in free agency. Of the five biggest contracts given out in free agency this year, three went to edge-rushers, with Jaelan Phillips getting the biggest of the lot when the Carolina Panthers gave the 26-year-old a four-year, $120 million contract. Thirty million a season is a lot to give a player whose career high in sacks (8.5) came as a rookie with the Miami Dolphins in 2021."
Jaelan Phillips named as one of the worst free agent signings of 2026
This is one of the Eagles that got it right. Of course, Phillips makes them a better team because of how good he is at pressuring the quarterback, but never hitting double-digit sacks in a season, and the two major injuries he had prior to being traded to the Eagles make $30 million per year way too high a price for him.
Philly responded by signing edge rushers Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in free agency to replace Phillips. While they aren't going to start like Phillips, the Eagles still have Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr., so they will most likely be the full-time starters for the time being.
Hunt showed a lot of promise as he led the team in sacks (six) and interceptions (three) last season. Smith also had potential, as he played well in 2024, but he missed a third of the season with an injury, which put him behind the development plan the Eagles had for him.
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The Eagles will most likely use one of their first picks to land an edge rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft. While they might not be able to find the guy right away who can match Phillips' production, the contract value will be way less for a guy who could have more potential.