There has been an overwhelming amount of concern when it comes to Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
It all started with his ejection from the season-opening win against the Dallas Cowboys after spitting at Dak Prescott. Then, there were reports of Carter dealing with a shoulder injury throughout the season. The 2025 campaign for Carter hit an all-time low in Week 6 when he was a last-second scratch from the loss to the New York Giants with a new heel injury.
The chips seem stacked against Carter as he has not played at the Pro Bowl level that Eagles fans saw in 2024. It has been mostly a down season for the defensive tackle.
After coming back from the mini bye week, it appears there is a different feel for Carter. He spoke with the media in front of his locker as he made it crystal clear whether he would be out on the field for the Eagles' Week 7 showdown against the Minnesota Vikings.
“I’m going to play this week.”
Eagles need Carter to have the best game of his 2025 season to win
The stats for Carter in 2025 are not going to impress Eagles fans. In four games, he has 10 tackles and six quarterback hits, which ranks fourth among defensive tackles. One other stat where he has done a good job is in pressures, with 15, ranking 18th among defensive tackles in the NFL.
Everyone points out the fact that he hasn't gotten to the quarterback yet this season, but remember, he only had 4.5 last year as well, and still dominated. As a defensive tackle, he doesn't always have to get sacks. As long as he is creating pressures and stopping the run, he's doing his job.
That's the part of his game the Eagles missed in the 34-17 loss to the Giants: stopping the run. Carter does a good job of clogging those running lanes, preventing running backs from running through them. New York was able to do that easily on the Eagles for 172 yards.
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It's certainly been far from a perfect season, but Carter is still one of the elite defensive tackles in the NFL and is due for his bounce-back game. Don't be surprised if it comes against Minnesota.