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Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

The Philadelphia Eagles have been getting their money’s worth out of defensive tackle Jalen Carter and cornerback Cooper DeJean from the moment they stepped inside the team facility.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie will eventually have to pay up, and when he does finally cut those checks, he should do it with a smile on his face. The return on investment for both players has been that significant.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recognized as much when he singled out both Carter and DeJean as the “Biggest Bargain” contracts at their respective positions in the entire NFL.

Both players were stars on the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2024, and both earned NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in their 1st 2 seasons, with Carter already a 2-time Pro Bowler.

Jalen Carter in Final Season of Rookie Contract

Carter, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, is headed into the final season of his 4-year, $21.8 million rookie contract and could very well become the highest-paid interior defensive lineman in NFL history with his next contract.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox predicts Carter is in line for a 4-year, $108 million deal, which would make him the No. 2 highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind Kansas City Chiefs superstar and 3-time Super Bowl champion Chris Jones.

Jones signed a 5-year, $158.75 million contract in March 2024, which pays him approximately $31.75 million per year.

Carter, 6-foot-3 and 314 pounds, is already eligible for a contract extension.

“In three seasons, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter has established himself as one of the game’s most disruptive defenders,” Knox wrote. “The two-time Pro Bowler hasn’t even turned 25 yet, either. Expect the Eagles to lock up Carter early. General manager Howie Roseman has a long history of negotiating early extensions, and Carter figures to be a centerpiece player in the mold of Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and Cam Jurgens.”

Cooper DeJean’s Contract Could ‘Reset Market’

DeJean is widely thought of as the NFL’s elite slot cornerback headed into his 3rd season in 2026.

We can make an argument that he paid off the entire value of his 4-year, $9.28 million rookie contract on 1 play — a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs to give the Eagles a 17-0 lead with 7:03 left in the second quarter of Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles went on to win, 40-22, for their 2nd Super Bowl championship in the last decade.

DeJean was a 2nd-round pick (No. 40 overall) in the 2024 NFL draft and 1 of 3 NFL All-Pros taken in the 1st 2 rounds of consecutive drafts following Carter in 2023 and fellow cornerback and 2024 1st-round pick Quinyon Mitchell.

Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti predicts both Mitchell and Dejean could reset the market at their positions when they’re eligible for extensions following the 2026 season.

For DeJean, a slot cornerback, that means topping the 3-year, $40 million contract signed by Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon in April 2025. That seems like a no-brainer for the Eagles.

“Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have been named first team All Pro,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark wrote on X in January. “Last Eagles CB to be first team All-Pro — Lito Sheppard over 20 years ago. This is just the third time in NFL history two teammates on one side of the ball have been drafted in the first two rounds and made first team All-Pro within their first two years.”