After months of chatter and speculation, the Philadelphia Eagles finally closed the chapter on A.J. Brown's tenure with the team. On June 1, they shipped Brown to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The Eagles can spread Brown's $49 million dead cap hit over the next two seasons and save a minimal $1.5 million in 2026. Nonetheless, with Brown no longer in the fold, the Eagles can focus on crafting a roster of players who want to stick around. And it appears that defensive tackle Jalen Carter is one of the players.
The Eagles should look to extend Carter sometime this offseason and keep the young star around for the foreseeable future.
Eagles should extend Jalen Carter next with A.J. Brown gone
Philadelphia has made it known how much they value Carter, and it was apparent once again this offseason. They checked in with the Cleveland Browns on a potential deal for Myles Garrett, but didn't want to include Carter in any possible offer.
For them not to include Carter in any deals for a player of Garrett's caliber shows that Philadelphia thinks he'll be a building block for the future. Back in April, they picked up his fifth-year option for the 2027 season, which is valued at $27 million.
The Eagles know they want him around for the long haul, and his extension should be at the top of the list of to-dos. Over the past three campaigns, Carter has been able to consistently wreak havoc from the interior. In 43 games (27 starts), he has compiled 108 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 37 QB hits, 13 pass deflections, and 13.5 sacks.
Teams always have to pinpoint Carter ahead of the snap, as he's shown that he can be a menace in the backfield, especially when given 1-on-1 opportunities. In each of his three seasons, Carter has finished with 30-plus hurries.
The highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL is Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs at $31 million a year. Meanwhile, in May, Jordan Davis and the Eagles agreed on a three-year, $78 million deal ($26 million annually). The Eagles and Carter can easily agree on a new deal in the $27 million–$30 million per year range to keep the Georgia product around.
Read more: Eagles' first post-A.J. Brown trade move goes in a much different direction
His impact can't be understated, and with Brown no longer around, Philadelphia can shift its focus to keeping its young talent around for the next couple of years. And Carter should be No. 1 on the list.
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