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The national stage wasn’t kind to Jalen Carter at the start of the 2025 season, when we saw him ejected from the regular season opener for spitting on Dak Prescott, but the start of this season is getting a lot brighter.
As in, a Brinks truck full of $100 bills.
That’s because Carter has agreed to a four-year contract extension worth a reported $152 million with $106 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) walks off the field after being disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
PATRICK MAHOMES LEAPS DAK PRESCOTT AS NFL’S HIGHEST-PAID QB WITH RECORD CHIEFS EXTENSION WORTH $504.75M USD
The deal, negotiated by agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus, will pay Carter $38 million in new money on an annual average basis.
The average vaults Carter past Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons ($35.2 million) and Kansas City Chiefs lineman Chris Jones ($31.75 million) as the league’s only interior linemen to exceed $30 million per season.
It is, shall we say, nothing to sneer at.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) gestures to the crowd during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 25, 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)
Carter is now under contract with Philadelphia through 2031.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Carter finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Will Anderson Jr.
Carter was instrumental in helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX to end the 2024 season. Last year he played in just 11 games until he required shoulder surgery on both shoulders.
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Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter walks off the field after being disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
But he played at least 90 percent of the snaps in four of the 11 games, and his 55.9 snaps per game was the most among defensive tackles.
Carter is a two-time Pro Bowler, and the Eagles naturally believe his best days are ahead of him, because that’s exactly what $38 million per season should deliver.
Especially in matches played on the national stage.
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