While the lack of explosive plays on offense have been a major point of contention among Philadelphia Eagles fans over the first two weeks of the season, the defense is dealing with some issues of its own.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is aware of this. As a result, he singled out Jalen Carter following following his first full game of the 2025 campaign.
Eagles' Jalen Carter Admitted to Vic Fangio He Must Get in Better Shape
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Beyond the fact that Carter's actions cost him one appearance already this season, the former Georgia Bulldogs star's conditioning has raised some eyebrows to kick off the year. [According to Zach Berman of The Athletic](https://x.com/ZBerm/status/1967974541478469751), Fangio noted on Tuesday morning that this issue has been a topic of conversation between Carter and himself.
Most encouraging on this front is that Carter has acknowledged he still has work to do to reach the level he is expected to perform at every week. The fact that he is taking ownership of being behind schedule and is working to rectify the situation is a positive sign.
Fangio was quick to say that it wasn't all bad for Carter in his season debut against the Kansas City Chiefs this past weekend. However, even with those good rushes referenced by Fangio, both the coach and the player know that it is not the best effort that Carter is capable of bringing.
After being ejected from Philadelphia's win over the Dallas Cowboys, [Carter owned his mistake](https://section215.com/jalen-carter-quickly-responds-week-1-drama-best-way-possible-01k4whtr0q3t) and approached practice ahead of Week 2 with the type of hunger that coaches hope to see out of their star players. That desire to make up for his actions shone through against the Chiefs as Carter and Moro Ojomo combined for 10 QB pressures and one sack. Their work up front helped Fangio's Eagles defense pressure Patrick Mahomes on over 42% of his dropbacks.
With a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on the horizon, Carter and his running mates on the defensive front will have to prove themselves once again if they want to slow down a Rams offense that is off to a strong start. That starts with another great week of practice for the All-Pro defensive tackle.
Carter dealing with a shoulder injury during camp and getting ejected in Week 1 certainly provided unforeseen obstacles to having him in the right spot conditioning-wise. However, his performance against the Chiefs was a great jumping off point for what should be another dominant year from the former No. 9 pick.
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