Eagles DT Jalen Carter (wrist) cleared to play

Carter has been dealing with a wrist injury since the beginning of the season, playing through it for the last seven weeks. He will continue to play through it, though the Eagles defensive tackle admits the wrist won’t be fully healed this season.

Eagles CB Cooper DeJean (calf/abdomen) and OLB Jonathan Greenard (pectoral) joined Carter for a limited session. Eagles S Andrew Mukuba (knee) did not practice. Fortunately, the Eagles have a winnable game against the Titans this week.

DeJean was initially hurt in the Eagles’ Week 1 win over the Commanders, though he played every snap. Despite the DNP listing, the 23-year-old told reporters he still expects to play in Week 2. Barring a setback, Eagles fans can expect DeJean to start against the Titans.

Carter pops up on the injury report with a wrist issue Wednesday. A DNP listing to start the week is not the best sign, but the 25-year-old has a couple more chances to practice in at least a limited fashion. Should Carter miss time, the Eagles may turn to Byron Young for more snaps at defensive tackle.

After the smoke seemed to say that the Eagles were reluctant to sign Carter to a market-setting extension, GM Howie Roseman swoops in and does a deal right as training camp is open instead. Carter looked like a shell of himself at times towards the end of last season as he dealt with surgery on both of his shoulders, but this is a sensible extension assuming that the shoulders aren’t set to be a long-term problem. He was clearly the best lineman on the defense in 2024 and the Eagles clearly expect that sort of play going forward.

It’s not a major surprise given how Carter needed offseason surgery on both of his shoulders and didn’t look anything like 2024 Jalen Carter down the stretch last season. The Eagles likely want to see a healthy season before committing. Carter did not participate in team drills at mandatory minicamp and the Eagles have him under team control through 2027 via the fifth-year option. This could be a standstill to keep an eye on for a while.

Carter is participating in individual drills. He sat out for a month of the 2025 season after undergoing procedures on both shoulders last year. Late in May, Eagles DC Vic Fangio said Carter “had a good offseason of lifting” and that Carter’s shoulders “are fine,” so Carter’s limited participation is unlikely to be health-related. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni gave a non-answer when asked if this was injury-related or perhaps contract-related. We suspect it is the latter. The front office picked up Carter’s fifth-year option last year, keeping him under contract through 2027. He has a $3.7 million salary this year and a $27.1million salary next year. He is likely seeking a rich, long-term investment from the team. It remains to be seen how this will pan out, but GM Howie Roseman is a very savvy salary cap manager.

Carter missed a month of football last season due to having surgery on both of his shoulders. Speaking with the media, Fangio said Carter appears fine and that the star lineman has “had a good offseason of lifting,” which Fangio believes he began earlier than usual. Carter totaled 33 tackles, three sacks, and five TFLs in 11 games for the Eagles last season, and has remained a key piece of the defense since being drafted No. 9 overall in 2023. It sounds like he should be in good shape for the start of training camp for a defense that ranked fifth in points allowed and 13th in yards allowed last season.

DeJean made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2024 and earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors after the coaching staff began lining up on the perimeter in base in-season last year. The former second-round pick is up to 18 pass breakups and two interceptions through two NFL seasons.

Carter is one of two Eagles players to have his fifth-year option picked up this offseason, with LB Nolan Smith also having his option exercised. Carter has been a disruptive force for the Eagles since being drafted by them in 2023. The former ninth overall pick has tallied 13.5 sacks and 25 TFLs in 43 career games, and earned Second-team All-Pro honors in 2024. He has also been named to back-to-back Pro Bowls. The decision to pick up Carter’s option means he will remain under contract with the Eagles through the 2027 season.