Jalen Carter has rapidly emerged as a powerhouse at defensive tackle and an influential Eagles leader, showcasing his exceptional talent and strong presence on and off the field.
The Athletic recently took at Carter’s second season in the NFL, and the former Georgia Bulldogs All-American played a prominent role in the post-bye week turnaround on defense.
After a lousy practice in the infancy of this season, Jalen Carter stepped into a players-only huddle and addressed the entire team for the first time.
Several teammates still remember his message: Where we are is not where we need to be.
They were strong words from a second-year player, a defensive tackle who’d only just turned 23. But Carter had not only earned a voice on a young team that was counting on its next leaders. He was also absolutely right.
BreadMan finished his second regular season with 42 tackles, 12 for loss, 4.5 sacks, 61 combined QB hits and pressures, five pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
Carter has registered eight pressures, 5 QB hits, 2.0 sacks, and one forced fumble this postseason. In the NFC Divisional Playoff vs. L.A. Rams, Carter (23 years, 290 days) logged a career-high-tying 2.0 sacks, becoming the youngest Eagle to produce a multi-sack game in the playoffs. In the regular season, Carter finished 4th among NFL interior DL with an 81.5 PFF pass-rush grade, behind Chris Jones (91.0), Cameron Heyward (87.2), and Jeffery Simmons (81.6) (min. 400 pass-rush snaps).
Carter has performed at a high level despite playing 84 percent of the defensive snaps, up from 48 percent as a rookie, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
