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Eagles Exercise Fifth-Year Options on Carter, Smith

4/28/2026

44 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Eagles Exercise Options

The Philadelphia Eagles exercised fifth-year options on Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith for 2027, guaranteeing Carter $27,127,000 (Tier 4) and Smith $13,752,000 (Tier 1).
Carter missed five games in 2025 after a triceps injury and logged 33 tackles, 41 QB pressures, 11 QB hits and three sacks in 12 games in 2024.
Smith recorded 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and four postseason sacks in 2024.

Summary

Eagles Extend Davis

The Eagles signed former Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis to a three-year, $78 million extension.
Teams had to exercise fifth-year options on 2023 first-round picks by May 1.
If the Eagles later lock Jalen Carter into a long-term deal, it could reset the market, where only Chris Jones earns over $30 million and edge rushers command more than $40 million.

History

Historical Context

When the NFL imposed its first hard salary cap in 1994—$33.8 million per team—it forced the Dallas Cowboys to cut veteran Ken Norton Jr., saving about $1.2 million. Decades later, the Philadelphia Eagles exercised fifth-year options on Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith and extended Jordan Davis, echoing that original cap-driven roster reshaping and influencing today’s defensive-end market.

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Eagles Exercise Options

The Philadelphia Eagles exercised fifth-year options on Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith for 2027, guaranteeing Carter $27,127,000 (Tier 4) and Smith $13,752,000 (Tier 1).
Carter missed five games in 2025 after a triceps injury and logged 33 tackles, 41 QB pressures, 11 QB hits and three sacks in 12 games in 2024.
Smith recorded 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and four postseason sacks in 2024.

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