Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A star defensive tackle's new deal has set a high market standard for his position just as another All-Pro approaches his contract year.
- The player now holds significant leverage entering negotiations, with his performance this season likely to dictate a massive payday.
- The team's front office faces a critical decision that could define their roster strategy for the next several years.
If the Philadelphia Eagles were "hesitant to pay" star defensive tackle Jalen Carter before, how is a market-resetting $105.8 million extension for the Tennessee Titans' Jeffery Simmons going to make them feel?
The 28-year-old All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler is guaranteed all but $5.8 million of his deal with Tennessee, which should have Carter and his agent salivating over what could be in store for them. The challenge now will be getting Philadelphia to the negotiating table.
Carter, 25, is in the fourth year of his rookie contract, although the team already exercised his fifth-year option which guarantees him $27.1 million in 2027. That's a hefty amount of cash, but the two-time Pro Bowler, Defensive Rookie of the Year and Super Bowl LIX champion is clearly going to argue he's worth much more.
Titans painted Eagles into a corner for Jalen Carter's inevitable extension
Carter hasn't necessarily been building upon the impressive rookie year where he recorded six sacks and recovered a fumble for a touchdown. He put up 4.5 sacks in 2024 and only three in 2025 but still managed to earn his first pair of Pro Bowl nods.
Should Carter put up similar numbers or even recapture his rookie rampage in 2026, Philadelphia is going to need to be prepared to shell out north of $100 million to keep the 2023 top-10 pick around. That being said, it's even more reason for general manager Howie Roseman to stay in his office and ask for Carter to prove himself on the field this season.
It could very well develop into a game of chicken akin to what Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are playing with wide receiver George Pickens. Philadelphia runs the risk of Carter letting his ego get the best of him and sitting out or demanding a trade, but if it saves the team a $100 million headache it might be worth the gamble.
The only certainty in Roseman's calculations will be the price baseline. Simmons and Tennessee reset the market at the position, and there are not many 2023 draftees who will command more from their respective teams. Carter seems to be holding most if not all the cards entering the 2026 season, and it's going to be on him to meet expectations.
Philadelphia is usually good about being aggressive with re-signings, so there must be a significant reason the team is holding off for now. It could be anything from his off-field legal issues — which appear to be long behind him — to chronic shoulder problems.
For the sake of avoiding speculation on that specific front, should Carter earn yet another Pro Bowl nod and record at least four sacks this year Roseman will have no choice but to pay him or suffer the complications of a drama-filled fifth-year negotiation. Anything less and Carter's agent is going to have to have to massage some stats and qualitative data to squeeze every penny out Philadelphia next offseason.
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