The Philadelphia Eagles have secured one of the cornerstone pieces of their defense for the long term, agreeing to terms with two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jalen Carter on a four-year, $152 million contract extension that can reach $160 million, according to his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus. The deal includes $106 million in guarantees and makes Carter the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
Carter, who will remain under contract through the 2031 season, becomes the latest high-profile young talent locked in by general manager Howie Roseman’s aggressive approach to retaining core players. The announcement came Tuesday as the Eagles prepare for the start of training camp.
Selected ninth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Georgia, Carter has developed into one of the league’s most disruptive interior defensive linemen. The 25-year-old from Apopka, Florida, earned Pro Bowl honors in both 2024 and 2025 and was named second-team All-Pro in 2024 while helping Philadelphia capture Super Bowl LIX. Across three seasons he has recorded 13.5 sacks, 108 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and 13 pass deflections in 43 games.
His production and ability to collapse the pocket from the interior have made him a foundational piece alongside Jordan Davis, who signed his own multi-year extension earlier this offseason. The Eagles previously exercised Carter’s fifth-year option, keeping him under team control through 2027, before completing this long-term agreement.
The contract resets the market at the position. Previous benchmarks included deals for players such as Chris Jones and more recent extensions that pushed average annual values higher for elite interior defenders. Carter’s average of $38 million per year and the substantial guaranteed money reflect both his youth and the premium placed on consistent interior pressure in today’s NFL.
For the Eagles, the move stabilizes the defensive line as they continue building around a young, talented core that includes recent first-round picks. Carter’s presence has been central to Philadelphia’s ability to generate disruption up front, and keeping him through his prime years removes a major point of future uncertainty.
Details of the year-by-year structure have not yet been fully released, but the extension underscores the organization’s willingness to invest heavily in proven, high-upside talent drafted and developed in-house. Carter enters the 2026 season as one of the highest-paid players on the roster and a clear centerpiece of the Eagles’ defensive plans for the next half-decade.
