Eagles make final fifth-year option decision on Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith

It’s make-or-break time for the Philadelphia Eagles. Their title defense last season was a disaster. Despite making it back to the playoffs, there was a lot of turmoil around the team. Their season ended abruptly at the hands of the short-handed San Francisco 49ers.

Now, the Eagles are looking to make a push for a title again. The first step in their title hunt will be to keep the best-performing players on their team. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter and linebacker Nolan Smith were two standouts from an already-stacked defensive roster. With their rookie contracts set to expire, the Eagles are making sure they still have their two of their best players on a cost-controlled contract.

The Eagles announced that they have picked up the fifth-year options for both Carter and Smith. Rookie contracts in the NFL have a clause that allows teams to keep their young players for an extra year after their fourth year in the league. Carter and Smith, who are in their fourth year in the league, will stay in Philadelphia until the end of the 2027 season.

Carter has been one of the most productive defensive tackles in the NFL. Though he played in just 11 games last season, he finished the season with three sacks, six passes defended, and 33 total tackles. His presence in the Eagles’ interior defensive line has been a massive boon to the team, making life easier for every other player on that defense.

One of the beneficiaries of Carter’s gravity in the defensive line is Smith. Like Carter, the Eagles’ outside linebacker did not play the full season, playing in just 12 games. He finished his third season in the league with three sacks, a forced fumble, 31 tackles, and 11 quarterback hits. He’s been an integral piece in what has been one of the best defenses in the league.

The Eagles’ defense was not the problem last season: their offense was one of the most inefficient units in the league. They’ve made massive changes to that side of the ball, letting offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo go and drafting wide receiver Makai Lemon. AJ Brown’s potential departure also hangs in the air. Can the Eagles soar once again in 2026?

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