Eagles Rumors: Jalen Carter Drawing Trade Interest; Optimism on Keeping Jaelan Phillips

The first major domino of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offseason fell on Saturday, when they agreed to a longterm extension with defensive tackle Jordan Davis. But that move could lead to the departure of at least one other standout on the Eagles’ defensive line. 

Star defensive tackle Jalen Carter has generated trade interest, with the Eagles receiving calls so far this offseason, ESPN reported Sunday. However, Philadelphia has made “significant progress” on keeping edge rusher Jaelan Phillips before he becomes a free agent on Monday, NFL Media reported. 

Carter, who turns 25 in early April, is extension eligible this offseason. Philadelphia also has to make a decision on Carter’s fifth-year option, which would keep him under contract through at least the 2027 season. 

But with the Eagles giving Davis a record extension for a nose tackle on Saturday, they’ll have to weigh the possibility of committing a large chunk of their salary cap toward the interior of the defensive line. If Carter receives a contract that would make him a top-five-paid defensive tackle, Philadelphia would be paying the duo at least $50 million per year.

So, the Eagles could rearrange their roster in order to make things fit financially and receive extra draft capital with a potential trade of Carter. Such a move would likely earn Philadelphia some premium picks. Carter has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the last two seasons, receiving a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024 as well. 

Carter’s best play, though, arguably came in the Eagles’ run to a Super Bowl title in the 2024 playoffs. He had two sacks in the postseason that year, logging 22 pressures over those four games, per Pro Football Focus. Carter had three sacks and 41 pressures in 11 games this past season. 

As for Phillips, he’ll be one of the top edge rushers on the open market when the legal tampering period begins on Monday. He’s the third-highest ranked pass rusher on FOX Sports’ top 100 NFL free agents list, coming in at No. 10 on that ranking. He had five sacks last season, spending the first nine games with the Miami Dolphins before getting traded to the Eagles in November.

But just like Carter, Phillips was better than what his sack numbers suggest. He had an impressive 73 pressures this past season, which ranked ninth among all edge rushers, per PFF. Forty-one of those came in his eight games with Philadelphia, proving to be a good fit in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system.