Jalen Carter dives headfirst into the Eagles versus Cowboys rivalry

Nothing else needs to be seen. Jalen Carter is one of us. Sure, his affiliation with the Philadelphia Eagles was assured the day the Birds traded up from the tenth-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft to the ninth and scribbled his name on a draft card. In a flash, Philly had landed the guy many saw as the best pound-for-pound player in the selection meeting, but he technically wasn't officially an Eagle yet.

One step followed another. He put pen to paper on his rookie deal, one that will pay him $21.8 million over his first four seasons in the NFL and give the Birds a fifth-year option. He then showed up at rookie minicamp, then OTAs, and now he's knee-deep in his first training camp.

Sure, he was a member of the Eagles as soon as that happened, but now he's been baptized by a bit of fire. You know what? That's cool with us.

Jalen Carter dives headfirst into one of the most intense rivalries in all of football, Eagles versus Cowboys.

Sometimes, it isn't what you say but how you say it. Sometimes, it's simply what you say. Hanging out with Sports Illustrated's Isaiah DeAnda Delgado, Jalen Carter shared some of his goals for his first professional season.

Just like that, the former Bulldog standout has earned his wings. He'll need to prove going forward that the Eagles made a wise decision by investing in him. That will be a career-long task, but if he sets the pro game on fire with a strong 17-game start in year one, he'll pass his first test with flying colors.

Then, there's the other thing. No one will be upset if he keeps his word with a pair of dominant performances in Week 9 and Week 14, the dates of Philly's annual two-game clash with their rivals from Texas. He's laid the gauntlet down. You can best believe his teammates will back him up. The coming regular season can't get here fast enough.

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