The Philadelphia Eagles have picked up the fifth-year options of both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, ensuring two key cogs of their defensive front are with the team through 2027.
This was always going to be a tricky storm to navigate. After finalizing the extension of Jordan Davis, the next decision carried twice the weight, with both Carter and Smith being first-round picks, and both invaluable to the defense.
Carter is already a two-time Pro Bowler and has rapidly emerged as one of the most dominant pass-rushers in the league, while Nolan Smith took a little longer to get rolling, but broke out in his second season with 6.5 sacks and followed it up with another impressive campaign in 2025, in which he matched his career-high 11 TFL.
According to Spotrac, Jalen Carter's 2027 cap-hit will be around $27M, with Smith's standing at $13M.
Being able to keep all three defensive stalwarts on the roster through 2027 allows Howie Roseman to keep building the roster, and of course allows the players to continue to blossom.
The Eagles will now enter 2026 with much more stability on the defensive side of the ball, and their defensive line as violent as it ever has been.
