Jalen Carter’s Year 3 breakout continues to buffer entering Week 6 of the 2025 regular season.
That’s bad news for the NFC, as the Philadelphia Eagles’ young defense has held its own despite getting maybe 60 percent — and that’s putting it mildly — of their most important player’s typical production on game days.
To say Carter’s season has gotten off to a rocky start would be a massive understatement. He was ejected before the first snap of the season opener after spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and has since struggled to match the force he played with during the balance of Philly’s 2024 Super Bowl run.
Through four games and 224 total defensive snaps, Carter has produced just 15 total QB pressures and three run stuffs, per Pro Football Focus. He’s also missed five tackles, which ranks second-most on the team, and has yet to record a sack.
The Eagles need more from their game-wrecking defensive tackle. The good news? Momentum finally appears to be building towards the Carter 2025 eruption the NFL knew was coming.
Eagles fans might finally see the real Jalen Carter vs. Giants on TNF
Carter definitely looked more like himself against the Denver Broncos last week, which could be a sign that his conditioning — and the nagging shoulder injury he’s been dealing with since Week 3 — is improving.
His 67 snaps against the Broncos were a season high, per PFF, and he flashed one of his patented plays in the run game, beating a double-team to drop running back J.K. Dobbins at the line of scrimmage. He’s also doing some of the dirty work inside, per Eagles reporter Anthony DiBona, like his stunt move that helped spring Za’Darius Smith off the edge for a sack of Bo Nix.
Despite playing through obvious pain, Jalen Carter is tied for the highest pass rush win rate among DTs this year.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/IF48JQBi3H
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) October 7, 2025
Carter’s shoulder issue wasn’t listed on Philadelphia’s first practice report of the week (he was later added to the injury report on Wednesday with a new heel issue, though). That coincides with a potential smash matchup on Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, and an offensive line that notoriously struggles to protect the passer. Carter only had one two-sack game during the 2024 regular season, and that came against the Giants in Week 7.
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Eagles fans expected Carter to be a game-wrecking force this season, especially with a major contract extension looming. He hasn’t shown up in that capacity to start the 2025 season, and Giants week at MetLife Stadium would be the perfect time and place to change the narrative if Carter's active.