RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 28: Jalen Carter #98 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with Jordan Davis #90 after sacking Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills (not pictured) in the second quarter of the game at Highmark Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Eagles made Jalen Carter the highest paid DT in NFL history, and his teammates couldn’t contain their excitement for an achievement they feel is well-deserved.
Several players spoke to reporters following their first training camp and everyone was so happy for the DT, with Jalen Hurts telling a funny story, Jordan Davis talking about how deserving Carter is, and Saquon Barkley saying the deal reflects how well the Eagles conduct business.
Here’s some of what they said:
Jalen Hurts
The quarterback said that Carter is a great player and a great competitor, and he’s really happy for the young DT earning this new contract.
Hurts went on to share that his wife put a $5 bill in his bag the first day of training camp — an inside joke between the couple — so the QB took the money and had jokes for Carter after his new deal was revealed.
"I took that five-dollar bill, and I went and gave it to Jalen Carter, and I smacked it on his chest, and I said, 'Let me put five on top of that.'" 😂 pic.twitter.com/C9o7dzcUIi
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 29, 2026
Carter later smiled really big when asked abut Hurts giving him the $5 bill, and said it kept falling out of his pocket all day, but now he’s got it safely at home. The DT also joked that it would probably be worth $500 if the QB would have signed it first.
On a serious note, though, Carter called Hurts “My guy” and talked about how they’ll sit together and have real serious conversations, saying the QB is like a big brother figure.
Jordan Davis
“I know he’s super excited about the whole process, and we always try to leave the league better than we found it — obviously, [Jalen Carter] reset the market. He’s the highest paid [DT] in NFL history, and that sets the bar for everybody else and the people behind him. So, I think that’s important and we love everything about it.”
Davis said that Carter was excited about getting back to work and everyone knows the caliber of player he is, which is why he was drafted and then signed to a big deal.
“Coming into the league, it’s a learning process. You have to learn to be a professional, you have to learn to navigate things — how to navigate problems we didn’t have in college, that we didn’t have in high school. Obviously, football is going to take care of itself, we have great coach in Coach Hurtt, but seeing him with all the off-the-field things, and seeing him persevere through everything he’s been through, that’s really the biggest thing that I can really give him a take away from.”
Davis’ big thing was that he was proud of Carter, and he saw the DT attack his rehab this offseason with intention and focused on getting healthy.
Saquon Barkley
“[Jalen Carter] hasn’t even scratched — you guys don’t understand how scary it actually can be. So, I’m excited for him and his family and everything.”
Barkley commented that it was a big contract but was also well-deserved, and he looks forward to seeing the next level Carter takes things to this season. He also was very complimentary to the Eagles and how they handle their business when it comes to paying players.
“Something about this organization, something about Howie [Roseman], they just do it the right way in my opinion. There’s a reason this team’s been successful.”
Barkley went on to say that he and Dallas Goedert were recently talking about being in Year 9, and the TE mentioned only missing the playoffs one season of his career. That’s all a reflection of how the organization handles things, including their roster building and approach to contracts — Barkley was also sure to note that his compliments for the Eagles were not meant to be a diss toward the Giants.
“Obviously, Howie [Roseman] does a great job, but just from everybody up there on the top, it’s actually very impressive. And, if I ever became a GM or got enough money to own a team, I would run it how they do it here.”
Other comments
DeVonta Smith
“I think it’s great. I like seeing guys get paid, and I told Howie [Roseman] he did a great job.”
Lane Johnson
“I was happy. I told him his rookie year that this is where he was headed. He had the potential to obviously be a great, dominating player in this league.”
Zack Baun
“The first thing I said was ‘Congratulations,’ and then I said, ‘They’re not paying you for what you did, but for what you’re about to do.‘”
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