The Eagles chatter around Jalen Carter has gotten louder, but it’s time to pump the brakes.
A major NFL trade involving the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans set off the latest round of speculation. Chicago landed four-time Pro Bowler Jeffery Simmons, while Tennessee got two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick. The Bears also sent back a Day 3 selection.
That deal immediately had some people in Philadelphia asking a familiar question: if Simmons can move, what would Jalen Carter fetch? It’s a fair conversation on the surface, but it’s also one that has taken on a life of its own.
Carter is being discussed in the same breath as Simmons because both play along the defensive front and both recently signed contract extensions in the summer with the expectation they’d be long-term pieces for their teams. But that’s where the easy comparisons start to break down.
The numbers on Carter tell you exactly why his value would be massive. Since 2023, he has made two Pro Bowls and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024. In 50 games, he has posted 126 tackles, 39 quarterback hits, 30 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 15 pass deflections, seven forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one touchdown.
Even with a wrist injury affecting him this season, he’s still produced 18 tackles, 16 pressures, 12 hurries, five tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles, two quarterback hits and two pass deflections in seven games.
Pro Football Focus has him at an overall grade of 57, which ranks 70th among 126 eligible interior defensive linemen. His pass-rush grade is 56.2, good for 96th, and his run-defense grade is 55.6, which puts him 57th.
That’s part of what makes the trade talk so odd. Even with Carter’s profile as one of the league’s best defensive tackles, the most common guess floating around is not a package of two first-round picks, but something closer to one first-round pick and a Day 3 selection.
There are a couple reasons this conversation has picked up steam in Philly. One is the Bears-Titans deal itself, which naturally has fans wondering what similar value might look like for the Eagles. The other is Carter’s recent comments about not caring about what fans think, which has left some in the media and fan base sour on him.
But the Eagles are in a different spot than Tennessee, and that matters. The Titans are viewed as being closer to a full reset, while Philadelphia still has young stars on both sides of the ball, which makes any rebuild far less daunting.
That’s why moving Carter would be the wrong move. The Eagles are financially strapped, and they can’t afford to give away a player of his caliber. Top-five defensive tackles do not come around often, and Carter is one of them.
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