Big seasons are looming for a handful of Eagles, and the money side of the story is impossible to miss.
Philadelphia has done what good teams are supposed to do: draft well, develop talent, and watch young players turn into expensive problems. That’s the tradeoff now.
Some of these guys are headed toward huge extensions in Philly. Others are probably playing their way into bigger deals somewhere else.
Jalen Carter is the headliner. He’s the extension candidate everyone will be watching at Eagles training camp, and the team has already been in extension talks with him.
Those conversations are expected to keep rolling as camp gets closer. The big question is whether Carter goes the hold-in route and stays out of practice until a deal is done, or whether something gets hammered out by Wednesday.
Either way, the Eagles would be smart to pay him now rather than wait for him to become even more consistently dominant. Carter is a generational player, and that’s not the kind of guy you want to play hardball with.
Nolan Smith is another player who could cash in after a big year. He already signed an extension, but he’s now the WR1 and he isn’t being paid like one.
That changes if he produces like one. If Smith puts together a season similar to what Jaxon Smith-Njigba did in his first year as the WR1, the Eagles will have a contract extension on their hands that he’ll have earned.
Tyler Steen is in a fascinating spot, too. The Eagles didn’t bring in competition for him at right guard this summer, which tells you they’re banking on him to make a jump.
He’ll be playing between a healthy Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson, something he didn’t have last year. If Steen delivers, he’ll put himself in line for a payday, whether that comes from Philadelphia or from the open market.
The Eagles could try to get something done before free agency gets involved, but either way, a strong season helps him.
On the defensive side, Moro Ojomo looks like another player who’s set to get paid by someone else after the season. He was one of the breakout players for the Eagles last year, and that’s exactly how these things go when a roster gets loaded with young talent.
The Eagles can’t keep everybody, and Ojomo may be the next example. Milton Williams wanted to stay in Philadelphia too, but it’s hard to turn down a four-year, $104 million deal.
If Ojomo puts up a season like the one he just had, there’s a real chance his next contract lands in that neighborhood, especially with the rising salary cap and the market for young defensive tackles.
At cornerback, the Eagles are juggling a lot at once. Quinyon Mitchell is already a First Team All-Pro and one of the elite corners in the league, so he’s going to get paid once he’s extension eligible after the season.
He has the kind of profile that can reset the market, though the Eagles could also work out something team-friendly. The catch is that they also have Cooper DeJean to think about.
DeJean is in a different contractual lane. Because he’s a first-round pick, the Eagles have the luxury of a fifth-year option with Mitchell, but they don’t have that with DeJean.
He’ll be a free agent after the 2027 season, which means Philadelphia will likely try to get a deal done with him next offseason. That contract would be built for a cornerback and safety, and DeJean could end up resetting the market before Mitchell does.
There’s also Kelee Ringo, who looks like a one-year rental in Philadelphia based on how his deal is structured and the rest of the money the Eagles have to spend at corner. The Eagles gave him real money - one year, $12 million guaranteed - to start on the outside opposite Mitchell.
That move also keeps DeJean in the slot. Ringo can still put together a season that earns him more years and more money elsewhere, but the setup points toward a short stay.
Then there’s the edge rusher situation with Josh Sweat. He has two more years left on his rookie contract, but because he wasn’t a first-round pick, he doesn’t have a fifth-year option.
That means he’s set to become a free agent after the 2027 season. A strong year would put him on track for a massive extension, and the Eagles would have good reason to keep him around.
He had a huge eight-game stretch with Jaelan Phillips last year, and the idea of what he could do with Jonathan Greenard for a full season only adds to the appeal.
The common thread through all of it is simple: the Eagles have a lot of players who are about to get expensive. Some of those bills will come due in Philadelphia.
Some will land somewhere else. Either way, the next contract season is already taking shape.
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