Jalen Carter’s Stellar Postseason Play Proving Huge For Thriving Eagles Defense

It’s no secret that Jalen Carter has lived up to the hype since winning two national championships at the University of Georgia and making his way into the NFL. If it weren’t for an off-the-field issue before the draft, Carter likely would’ve been selected inside the top five of the 2023 draft and possibly taken No. 1 overall.

He was a generational talent and it’s hard to believe that the Philadelphia Eagles, who were coming off an appearance in the Super Bowl, were able to grab Carter at the ninth pick is insane. Now two years into his career in Philadelphia, Carter looks destined to be not only the next star Eagles defensive lineman but might already be the best interior defensive lineman in all of football.

Carter finished the 2024 season with 4.5 sacks, 42 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, and two fumbles forced. That was good enough to earn him a Pro Bowl selection and second-team all-pro honors while also likely to receive votes for Defensive Player of the Year.

To cap off a stellar season, Carter has been an animal in the postseason for the Eagles. The stats didn’t show it in the 22-10 win over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round. Carter finished with two tackles, two QB hits, and one pass deflection while being majorly double-teamed throughout the game.

The same thing came this past weekend against the Los Angeles Rams. He was doubled team on over 50% of his pass rushes and Carter was able to find his way around, making Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ offensive line day a nightmare.

Jalen Carter played 68 of 70 defensive snaps and was double-teamed on 26 of his 49 pass rushes against the Rams.

Carter forced a key third down sack on the Rams’ final drive, then forced a pressure on fourth down to clinch the game.#LARvsPHI | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/ZitGdVZjvr

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 19, 2025

Carter recorded two sacks, three QB hits, 5 tackles, and forced a fumble in the Eagles’ 28-22 win. No matter where the play was going, Carter made his presence felt as he was always either around a play or making the play himself. His get-off time was 0.98 which is one of his best as a pro and every time the Rams were dropping back to pass, Carter was in the face of Stafford.

The impressive performance becomes even better when you see when he is making these plays. His second sack of the game came in the final minute of the win with the Eagles only up six points. The Rams were driving and were on the doorsteps of entering the endzone with a chance to steal a win in the Divisional Round.

Carter made one lineman miss and stormed his way through the line swallowing Stafford up to make it 4th and 11 with the clock running. This forced the Rams to hurry their 4th down play and it had no chance of converting, giving the Eagles the huge win. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky took to X showing just how huge the sack was.

Carter probably saved a TD @Eagles pic.twitter.com/qDedFtBiiL

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 20, 2025

If Carter doesn’t make that sack, the Rams likely either score or set themselves up to end the Eagles season. If the Eagles win the Super Bowl, plays like that sack will be looked back on in Eagles history as one of the biggest in the franchise’s history.

Heading into the season, Carter had big shoes to fill after the Eagles lost legendary defensive tackle, Fletcher Cox, to retirement. Not only has he filled those shoes, but Carter has excelled mightily. He’s becoming a player that many Philadelphia fans haven’t seen since Reggie White, which only tells you how special Carter is.

While his career has a long way to go, the Eagles realize how important Carter is to their future. Keeping him around and continuing to build a defensive core around him will be key for Philadelphia for seasons to come.

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