Eagles Finally Land a Game-Changing Edge Rusher in Jonathan Greenard: ‘Just a Really Fun Guy to Watch’

A dominant game-wrecking edge rusher who ranks at the top of the league in sacks is something that the Eagles never seem to have for a long period of time. Sure, they’ve had the few years from Hassan Reddick back in 2022, Jason Babin in 2011, or Connor Barwin in 2014, but those players only last 1-2 seasons before leaving the Eagles or fizzling out of the league. In the 2026 NFL Draft, gaining a long-term solution was a priority.

The Eagles tried to bring one in via a trade this past season, when they acquired Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins for a third-round pick. Phillips had been an up-and-down player since arriving in the league due to injuries, but when he was on the field, he produced at a big-time level.

In the eight regular-season and one playoff game that Phillips played with the Eagles, he recorded 2.5 sacks, 37 tackles, 10 QB hits, and forced and recovered one fumble. His stats weren’t eye-popping, but his presence rushing the quarterback was, and it heavily improved the Eagles’ pass rush in the second half of the season last year.

Phillips went into the offseason as a free agent, and it was reported that the Eagles were offering him a substantial deal to return to Philly for several years. However, Phillips eventually agreed to a four-year, $120 Million contract with the Carolina Panthers.

Ever since the Eagles lost Phillips to free agency back in March, Philadelphia had been rumored to want a top-tier edge rusher to fill the void left by Phillips’ departure. Nobody in free agency was worth that kind of move, so many thought the draft would answer that hole.

The Eagles didn’t draft an edge rusher with either of their first two picks, but Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office decided to go in another direction on draft night, trading the 98th overall pick in this year’s draft and a future third-rounder to the Minnesota Vikings, acquiring Jonathan Greenard.

They not only traded for him to bolster their pass rush, but they also signed him to a 4-year, $100 million extension that includes $50 million guaranteed. Greenard had been asking Minnesota for the past number of months for a contract extension, but the Vikings have been adamant on shedding cap and not giving Greenard a new deal.

Philadelphia was glad to not only acquire Greenard but give him a brand new deal that he asked for, with Roseman stating that Greenard is a relentless player who the Eagles feel is a true difference maker on defense.

“He’s one of six guys that’s had 12 or more sacks over the last three years. Just a really fun guy to watch,” Roseman said following Day 2 of the draft. “Things change from when you start the off-season as you come to the draft process. You get a truer sense, kind of as the process goes along, the things that you have, the things that you need, things you can acquire. And we felt like at this time, like this was a really good move for our football team to acquire him, to improve our defensive line.”

Greenard is a top edge rusher in the NFL. Is he in the top top tier of the position with the Myles Garretts, TJ Watts, or Maxx Crosbys of the world? No. However, Greenard is still an outstanding edge rusher who, in the right system, can excel at the highest level. Roseman emphasized that stating that he is a game changer whom the Eagles couldn’t get enough of when watching film of him.

“There wasn’t a game that we didn’t watch of his this year, and what you see is a relentless player with relentless tools,” Roseman said. “He’s hard to block. When we played them, we were worried about where he was at all times. We felt like we have a really good D-line, but we wanted to elevate it to another level. Really made sense to acquire a player like him.”

Greenard had a slow start in his first three years in the league with the Houston Texans, but broke out in year four with Houston, recording 12.5 sacks, 22 QB hits, and 58 tackles in his final year in the Lone Star State. Following year four, Greenard left Houston for Minnesota in free agency, signing a four-year, $76 million contract.

In his first year with the Vikings, Greenard picked up where he left off in Houston, posting another 12-sack, 22 QB hit season, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl, and finishing 11th in Defensive Player of the Year voting. 2025 was a down year in terms of stats, as he only recorded three sacks, but that was largely due to a shoulder injury that he suffered.

He is healthy now and ready to rock and roll, even giving his first interview at the 76ers playoff game with NBC’s John Clark, stating that he’s excited to get going and hyped for the energy Philadelphia fans bring.

“It’s a crazy environment, exactly what I thought it was gonna be, a welcome to everything, so I’m excited,” Greenard said Friday night. “I’m bringing that same energy I’ve been doing my whole time in the NFL, looking to bring some hardware.

Greenard joins and leads a now loaded pass-rushing group that includes Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Arnold Ebiketie, and Moro Ojomo. On top of that, he will also rush the quarterback next to Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis in the middle, and Greenard is excited to see what Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can create.

“I know that he’s a genius for a reason, and one of the best in the game for a reason,” Greenard said. “I’m excited to see what he can draw up.”

The trade of Greenard finally gives the Eagles a long-term answer in the pass rush department and a superstar on the edge. The Eagles get a steal of a player for two third-rounders, who is ready to help Philadelphia win another Super Bowl.

“I can’t wait to be a part,” Greenard said.

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