Now in his third year, Jalen Carter hasn’t quite looked as dominant as he did in 2024, when he earned second-team All-Pro honors.
Perhaps that’s because he’s hurting.
Carter isn’t making much noise about it, but he’s playing through a shoulder issue that’s lingered since training camp and flared again in last week’s win. The injury caused him to leave the game briefly before returning, and he’s admitted it’s “a little serious.” Still, he’s expected to play Week 5 as the Philadelphia Eagles try to keep their early-season momentum alive.
“Sometimes I get a rush in or I’m playing the run and I feel it,” Carter said (h/t Sports Illustrated’s John McMullin). “I drop my shoulder or something. I can’t let that be the blame. I’m still out there, I’m still playing. If it’s hurting me that bad I’ll just stop. Everybody has injuries, depending on if it’s small or if it’s big, but when the right time comes, if I need to stop and take a little break to work more on my shoulder, that time is going to come.”
More on the Shoulder Injury Currently Plaguing Philadelphia Eagles DT Jalen Carter
Mitchell Leff/GettyJalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles has been playing through a shoulder injury.
Through four games in 2025, Carter has amassed just six total tackles (one for loss), five QB hits and no sacks. In part, his numbers are lower because Philadelphia has been careful with his snaps. It’s also likely because his shoulder has been aggravating him.
As a rookie in 2023, Carter amassed 33 tackles and 6.0 sacks while showing flashes of elite interior disruption. He showed solid growth in 2024, finishing with 42 tackles (12 for loss), 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and six passes defensed across 16 starts. Beyond the raw stats, he led the team’s defensive line in quarterback pressures (he had 53 total pressures, per PFF).
With the Eagles’ defensive end group getting hit by injuries and key contributors like Nolan Smith on injured reserve, Carter’s health becomes all-the-more crucial for an Eagles defense already in need of pass rush help.
Shoulder Injuries for D-Linemen Can Be Tricky
Interior defensive play is all about hitting hard and getting leverage, and Carter’s pain spikes when he punches or drops his shoulder into blockers.
“Going against O-linemen … I was striking every play,” Carter said about his shoulder. “So there’s going to be that one play that kind of tweaks it, and kind of feels it. But we do things to help it before the game, with stretching or just working it out.”
Stretching is well and good, but during a game, any small hesitation can hurt him. The coaching staff is balancing the need to protect him with the reality that their Super Bowl hopes lean heavily on his disruption. Snap management can help, but there’s no real substitute for what he brings when he’s fully healthy.
If Carter stays on the field and keeps pushing through, other members of the Eagles’ defense will have to step up. If his shoulder worsens, it could really hurt the entire unit.
“As of right now it feels good enough to play,” Carter said this week. He and the Eagles host the Broncos on Sunday, so Eagles Nation is hoping he won’t irritate it further.
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