Jalen Carter, Eagles Reportedly Agree to Historic $152M Contract Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

The Philadelphia Eagles already extended defensive tackle Jordan Davis ahead of the 2026 season. Now his running mate on the interior also has a massive extension.

The Birds announced on Tuesday that they signed Jalen Carter to a contract extension through 2031. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the sides agreed to a four-year, $152 million deal worth up to $160 million, including $106 million guaranteed, that now makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history, an expected outcome this offseason despite some trade rumblings.

Carter's yearly salary of $38 million puts him well ahead of Tennessee Titans veteran Jeffery Simmons as the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league on an average annual basis:

Carter, 25, is already a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion. While injuries limited him to 11 games in 2025, he still registered 33 tackles (five for loss), three sacks, 12 quarterback hits and seven passes defensed. He also blocked a field goal and extra-point attempt.

Carter regularly attracts double teams and has become a key fixture of an Eagles defense that has been excellent under Vic Fangio the last two seasons. He's a defensive pillar at this point alongside linebacker Zack Baun and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and is arguably the team's most dominant player when he's at his best.

He also paired with Davis and Moro Ojomo to give the Eagles one of the best young interior trios in the NFL. Following the 2025 season, extensions for both Carter and Davis seemed likely to be a priority for the Birds (Davis ultimately signed a three-year, $78 million extension).

When the Eagles picked up Carter's fifth-year extension, there was some questions about whether the team would wait another year before extending him. Those questions are now answered.

The ability to collapse the pocket from the interior is valuable, alongside the ability to shut down the run. Carter, at his best, provides both at an elite level. While he didn't always consistently play at that level in 2025—injuries didn't help—he's one of the NFL's most disruptive interior forces. That always made it likely that Howie Roseman and the front office would find a way to keep Carter in Philly for the long haul.