Jalen Carter
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 11: Jalen Carter #98 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
There’s a growing buzz around the league that Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter is available via trade, and how the Chicago Bears could be in the mix for the star DT.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported on March 8th that the Eagles have received “trade calls” on Carter after news broke that Philadelphia extended defensive tackle Jordan Davis on a three-year, $78 million deal.
Easton Butler of 247 Sports added fuel to the fire by listing the Bears as one of five teams that have called about Carter’s availability, along with the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Butler also noted that “several others have also called to ‘kick the tires’ on it,” but it’s hard to believe Chicago was one of those teams, especially since general manager Ryan Poles passed on Carter back in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bears Cautioned Against Trading for Jalen Carter
Nonetheless, if Butler’s report is true, Harrison Graham of Chat Sports cautioned against the Bears trading for Carter.
“He’s extremely talented but Ryan Poles passed on him once in the NFL draft. Took Darnell Wright. That ended up being a great decision. Is he gonna trade for him now considering the team that did take him is making him available? That’s a big red flag to me. He had character concerns and effort concerns coming out of Georgia. I don’t know if I’d be willing to trade for Jalen Carter, especially considering you’re probably gonna have to pay him at least 30 million dollars on a new contract.”
Let’s break this down. Carter is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and is expected to command a huge contract next offseason. Not only that, if the Bears were to trade for him, it would likely cost their first-round pick this year and additional draft capital.
If Howie Roseman, the Eagles general manager who loves making trades for players and hardly ever makes players available via trade, wants to give someone like Carter away, that should be an even bigger red flag.
That’s two aspects Poles has to consider, along with his character issues that continue to pop up in the NFL. Is he an elite player? No doubt. Is this a move the Bears should make, considering all the factors? Leaning towards no on that.
Harrison Graham
While the idea of Jalen Carter sounds good and the on-field fit would be good, I’d pass on trading for Jalen Carter.
Why?
Ryan Poles & the Bears passed on him once for off-field concerns and now the Eagles are seemingly making him available? That’s a concern.
Bears Can Address Defensive Tackle in Other Ways
There are other ways the Bears can address a huge need at defensive tackle.
The most likely avenue is through the 2026 NFL Draft, where Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune pinned Clemson’s defensive tackle Peter Woods as a name to watch.
“There’s a serious need at both positions (defensive end & defensive tackle), but if you’re ordering one over the other, tackle has to be on top. Considering it’s a deep draft for edge rushers — and not as deep at tackle — this is a good place to start when wondering about the No. 25 pick. Some college evaluators I spoke with believe there could be a good clump of defensive linemen on the board when the Bears’ pick comes around. The best fit for Dennis Allen might be Clemson’s Peter Woods. Allen wants a disruptive guy in the middle.”
Here’s what ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller has to say about Woods, who’s his No. 1-rated defensive tackle prospect:
“Woods is a 3-technique defensive tackle with the quickness to be an immediate pocket disruptor in the NFL. He gets double-teamed a lot because offensive linemen struggle to match his first step in one-on-one situations. Woods has the strength to counter that, accumulating five career sacks and 42 hurries despite the extra attention. Though his lack of sack production could limit his upside for some teams, Woods’ position-specific traits are good enough to make him a top-20 pick.”
Another avenue is free agency, although it may be underwhelming compared to a trade for Carter. Taking a lot of the list of free agent defensive tackles, some names to keep an eye on are the following:
There aren’t any superstar defensive tackles that will hit the open market, but regardless, the Bears need to add some talent to the defensive tackle room.