Jalen Carter's next contract with Eagles could hit historical numbers

Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has been a genius in the NFL Draft over the last four years, but a potentially expensive genius as he will have to work his salary cap wizardry with one of his young stars.

Eagles' interior defensive lineman Jalen Carter has only been in the NFL for two years now, and he is already among one of the best in the NFL. Pro Football Focus had Carter as the fifth-ranked interior defensive lineman in the NFL, and he's only 24.

Carter has even spoken out about how he feels that he's not yet among the elite defensive linemen. A man who is among the best feels he isn't? That's scary to think about for the rest of the NFL.

There will come a point, though, where the Eagles will have to cough up a lot of money to keep him long-term (and it's well worth it). How expensive a price will Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie have to pay to keep a once-in-a-generation defensive lineman?

Carter is looking at historical financial numbers

NBC Sports Philadelphia Eagles reporter Reuben Frank shared his column, which went through observations on minicamp and his thoughts on all things Eagles. Frank had brought up his thoughts on how much Carter could be worth once he is eligible for a contract extension.

Entering his third season, Carter already has accomplished more at 24 than most NFL defensive linemen dream of doing. In 32 career games, Carter has racked up 75 tackles, 25 quarterback hits, 20 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, six pass deflections, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. He was a runner-up for the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year and, in 2024, notched a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections.

The combination of Carter and Jordan Davis will be in Philadelphia for a long time, as the two have become one of the best combos in the league. They both possess the ability to stop the run and rush the passer as well.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has already said that Carter is still learning how to play defensive tackle. That means all this time, Carter's incredible play has been based on raw talent. Wow.

The thought of Carter potentially reaching almost $40 million a year seems like a terrifying prospect for Eagles fans, as the next idea is how we can afford to pay the other players. Remember that the salary cap is only going to go up, and the Eagles won't be afraid to offload decent talent to replace it with cheaper, but equally good ones in the NFL Draft. This is the same formula Roseman has used to build an incredible roster over the years.

There's no doubt that Carter will not be able to leave the building in Philadelphia for a long time. He loves the city, and the city loves him. Roseman will get it done eventually, and it's going to be incredible to see the potential Hall of Fame career in front of our eyes.