Jalen Carter Resets DT Market With $152M Eagles Extension
Carter's four-year, $152M deal ($106M guaranteed) makes him the NFL's highest-paid defensive tackle at just 25 years old.
Elite IDP anchor now locked in Philly through 2031.
- 4-year, $152M deal, worth up to $160M
- $106M guaranteed, signed through 2031
- $38M AAV — new DT record
- 3 sacks, 12 QB hits in 11 games last season
- 13.5 career sacks in 43 games over 3 years
The Eagles just handed Jalen Carter a four-year, $152 million extension that makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history, per ESPN. The deal can reach $160 million and includes $106 million guaranteed, locking Carter in Philadelphia through the 2031 season.
The $38 million annual average resets a market that was topped only a month ago by Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons, who landed a three-year, $105.8 million pact after leading all defensive tackles with 11.0 sacks and earning First Team All-Pro honors. The difference for Philadelphia? Carter is four years younger than Simmons at just 25, which is exactly why the Eagles paid up now rather than later.
Carter was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Georgia, and he's made back-to-back Pro Bowls in his first two full seasons. This past year he played only 11 games but still stuffed the box score: 33 tackles, three sacks, 12 QB hits, and seven passes defensed. Across 43 career games he's piled up 108 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Philadelphia is doubling down on its interior. Carter's running mate Jordan Davis got a three-year, $78 million deal back in March, meaning the Eagles now employ two of the six highest-paid defensive tackles in the league. That's a serious commitment to winning games in the trenches.
The Fantasy Fallout
For IDP managers, the news is all upside. Carter is a rare interior lineman who generates real pass-rush production, and the guaranteed money means the Eagles will keep feeding him snaps against premium competition. The lingering concern is availability — 11 games played last season is a red flag if it becomes a pattern, and interior tackles are inherently harder to trust for weekly points than edge rushers.
Bottom line: in leagues that reward defensive tackles, Carter is a top-tier hold with league-winning upside if he stays on the field for a full slate. Don't overpay to acquire him in a trade given the injury question, but if you already roster him, this contract is the best possible signal about his workload and long-term role. Keep him rostered and monitor his snap counts once camp reports roll in.
