Jalen Carter's extension a top priority before 2026 Eagles season? | Birds Huddle
Jalen Carter's extension a top priority before 2026 Eagles season? | Birds Huddle originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Video Transcript
With training camp now two weeks away, is there an urgency to get a contract extension done for Mr. Jalen Carter?
Plus, our countdown of the top 25 most important Eagles continues with DeVonta Smith.
Will he take the reins as the Birds' number one receiver?
32 teams, 32 days.
Looks at the Steelers, who are running it back with Aaron Rodgers.
And with that, welcome into Birds Huddle, presented by Toyota, official automotive partner of the NFL.
Barrett Brooks, Ashlyn Sullivan here with you.
And yes, I said it, training camp two weeks away.
Woo.
Barrett and I were just talking, where has the summer gone?
We're looking at the negatives.
We should focus on the positives that football's back.
So- No, football is back and I can't wait.
You know, I mean, I, I talked a little earlier in a podcast, I'm like, "Look, it's two weeks left going into camp," and I'm gonna tell you the truth.
This is where I got all my, you know, butterflies in my stomach, you know, and everything.
Why?
Not because of camp.
It's because it's that conditioning test.
Yes, the conditioning test.
You got fine if you didn't make it, but you gotta make sure you're in shape.
And I can remember myself out there running in the 100 degree heat, trying to get ready for this damn conditioning test, and it just, it, it was, it just irked my soul for two weeks before we had to get there.
I didn't sleep for two weeks.
I was sleep-deprived.
My body was in total shambles going into this thing, thinking about that daggone conditioning test.
Woo.
I'm starting to sweat about it right now.
So, if you haven't started running- now's the time to start, 'cause you got two weeks left.
Right.
That brings us to our three-point stance presented by Toyota.
Stance number one, Jalen Hurts is gonna be on a mission in 2026.
As we've discussed, ESPN polling of league executives and coaches ended up ranking Hurts as the 17th best- Wow quarterback in the NFL.
But within the article was a quote from an anonymous AFC coach, quote, "I know it has been up and down, but I'm still betting on the Super Bowl credentials, the intangibles, the toughness."
And quote, Barrett, that seems perfectly stated.
17th on the list is crazy.
I, I just don't understand.
I mean, what else to do?
You draft the guy in the second round.
He's not supposed to be a starter.
He becomes a starter, and then he goes to a Super Bowl.
Then he wins a Super Bowl.
He gets the highest contract for any player in the NFL for about a week or two.
You know what I'm saying?
And you still don't think he's a great quarterback.
He wins the Super Bowl, and he's still, you know, talked about as he's not a good quarterback.
Come on.
What does he have to do?
Just win another Super Bowl?
Be a Super Bowl MVP?
I mean, h- how else is he gonna go out there and gain people's respect?
The mere fact that he's behind people that have done nothing, it, it- That shouldn't be on the list that's what really makes me mad.
I mean, come on now.
It really puts me, it really, you know, excites me in a, in a, in a frenzy, like, come on now.
I mean, what else does he have to do?
He has done everything asked of him.
He's won a Super Bowl, and you still treat him like he's a second-rate quarterback.
I mean, you have guys like, hold on, Brock Purdy in front of him?
What has he done?
Lose a Super Bowl.
Yeah, that's right.
Okay.
You know?
Baker Mayfield.
Hadn't been to a Super Bowl.
That's just disrespectful.
Jayden Daniels.
Didn't even play last year.
He didn't even play last year.
And you got Jalen in front of, I mean, Jalen in the back of him.
Come on now.
This just, the disrespect is just crazy.
I mean, what has he done?
He's done everything that he's asked.
Oh, because he hasn't passed over 4,000 yards?
So what?
He's orchestrated a team that goes to a Super Bowl, you know, for the past four years.
This is just so disrespectful.
The man doesn't know what it means to be without a, a, a, you know, a, a playoff berth.
He hasn't, I mean, his first year, okay, they didn't.
But after that, since, you know I, I, I just get irritated.
I- I mean, I don't, I don't know what to say, man.
All the change, all the new offensive coordinators- I mean, he's had six all the, all the newness.
None of the other guys on the list- Right have had to deal with that.
That should be a factor overall.
That's why these lists mean nothing, because they don't put in the factors of things like that.
They just look at the stats, say, "Oh, let's make a list."
Oh, yeah.
Look.
All right.
You have a new boss for six y- You?
Yeah, a new boss for six years.
That's tough.
Six straight years, you get a new boss for each year of that, and you'd have some consistency in your work?
No.
No.
There will be no consistency.
'Cause everyone wants something different.
Exactly.
But yet he comes and orchestrates an offense.
So everybody's thinking, "All right, will he be able to go in this offense and run this offense effectively?"
Has he done it for the past six years?
Oh, okay then.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
So he will be consistent and be able to run this offense.
Yes, he will be.
And now he's- The disrespect is crazy gotta do it again.
Let's- Enough with the lists.
Well, show him, show him again, Jalen.
Show him again.
We don't like the lists.
Stance number two, getting an extension done for Jalen Carter before training camp should be the Eagles' top priority.
It's been drama-free.
It's been nice since the A.J.
Brown trade.
It'd be nice to get this settled so it doesn't loom over the season.
Overall, I think you gotta get this done with Jalen Carter.
It's gonna be interesting.
Didn't participate in OTAs.
There was a thought about maybe the injury was hindering that.
Maybe it was the contract, but we're gonna be pretty crystal clear.
If he doesn't show up to training camp, it's because of that contract.
Well, come on now.
I mean, why even go through and, and go down this path?
I mean, you wanna get him on a fair market value.
Right now, the market's set about $35 million, over $35 million, because you look at it, he's better than the guys that are there.
I mean, come on now.
$35 million a year, he deserves it.
He will be not just a great defensive player, but he's gonna be right up there with the best defensive players that are playing.
I mean, he, he's gonna be, he's gonna be vying for that title of defensive MVP.
That's how much confidence I have in him.
And plus, I've seen the workouts.
Look at all the stuff he's doing to his shoulders.
He's gonna be in the best shape of his life going into this season.
His shoulders are gonna be right.
I mean, he's gonna go out there and be a monster, a pure monster.
There are gonna be offensive coordinators up all night when they play the Eagles, because now you have to, you know, how are you gonna go out and, and, and, and allocate resources?
Are you gonna double-team him every time?
Now you got Davis sitting there, who can play on third down, who's now a, you know, every-down player that can rush the passer, collapse the pocket.
Then you look, you look on the defensive ends.
Man, this is, this is gonna be a really, really good defense, and he's gonna be spearheading as their number one player in that defense.
I think he's that caliber of a player.
And just get the job done.
Just get it done.
It's crazy to think about the situation of not paying Jalen Carter, and that speaks volumes.
You'll pay for it in the end if you don't.
Exactly.
If this doesn't get done, it's gonna be very interesting how this plays out this season.
All right, stance number three, the franchise tag has basically become a placeholder.
Today is the deadline for tagged players to negotiate a long-term deal.
But the only player still on a tag is George Pickens, and he already signed his tag.
As you look at it here, Kyle Pitts and then Hall are also given the franchise tag, but they worked out long-term deals, so they were good.
Daniel Jones got a transition tag, inked a two-year deal with the Colts.
So it's just Pickens who will play on the tag this season.
This is ending up, Barrett, just being a thing of the past.
Well, that's, that's, you know, they, they just wanna get the job done.
You know, you don't want guys to go out there and be worried about how they're gonna get paid, you know, if they're gonna get paid, if they want this.
It's almost like Dallas doesn't want their players.
That's why you always have these kind of merry-go-rounds when you think about Dallas, how they go about their business.
Come on now.
I mean, he's clearly the best receiver they have.
I think he's, surpassed CeeDee Lamb on that team.
So get a man a deal.
I mean, he did nothing f- that we heard, you know, to cause any, any type of, of distinction as, as far as being the number one guy.
He's did everything on the field, and not done it, you know, off the field.
So come on now.
Give him an opportunity and, and, and pay him, Jerry.
You know what I'm saying?
We want all your money to be wrapped up.
Go ahead and pay him now, please.
You know what I mean?
I, I don't want you to have any more money to go out there and make deals.
So yes, pay the man.
You know, we don't use franchise tags anymore, you know, not now.
Don't they know it's a thing of the past?
It is.
It is a thing of the past.
Very interesting.
That's gonna be a problem in Dallas.
It is time to continue our countdown of the top 25 most important Eagles.
And coming in number four today, a guy who is talking on some importance of the Birds this season, wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
Barrett, this is the highest DeVonta has ever been on our list, without A.J.
Brown.
Hey, we get why.
This is the guy that is gonna have to lead this offense in the wide receiver room, but he's up for the challenge.
Oh, definitely up for the challenge.
And everybody's wondering, can he handle being a number one receiver?
He's been a number one receiver.
Can he do it alone without A.J.?
He's done it without A.J.
Before.
I just don't understand it.
Yes, he's 6'0", they say he's 170 pounds, but he picked up some weight in this off-season.
Look like he put a little more muscle on.
I mean, just because he knows he's gonna have to go out there and be the guy.
So I mean, I think he'll be okay.
He's probably sitting around 180 now.
But the biggest thing is, what hasn't he done?
He's been a Heisman Trophy winner.
He's won two national championships.
He's been to two Super Bowls.
He's won a Super Bowl.
He's done everything that you want to be one of the most impactful players in this offense.
He's by far, you know, somebody that I don't have to worry about him being ready to play.
He will be there.
But I mean, just how gifted and talented he is, his route running, how he creates separation, his body control, the way he can go out, you know, almost lean out of bounds and still complete the catch.
Yeah.
His hands.
He's done everything the right way.
Why are we questioning him?
There's no way we should be questioning.
The way he goes up and get 50/50 balls.
Yeah, he's supposed to be the Slim Reaper.
He's supposed to be small and fra- No.
He plays like he's 20 or 30 pounds heavier than, than what he is.
I mean, there's no question he's gonna be a great player.
Great, great player.
Especially, he's done it before.
Yes.
We talked about with A.J.
Brown being injured.
Here's a look at what Smitty has done in each of his five seasons with the Eagles.
So you see these numbers.
We know he's gonna take on a bigger responsibility, bigger role.
What kind of production do we expect from him this year?
The same production I've been seeing.
I mean, he's averaging, you know, you take all of his averages together, he, he's averaging over 1,000 yards.
But what I see in his production, it's gonna be different from what we've seen.
We gotta understand, A.J.
Brown, when he was here, I'd say 65 to 68% of the play calling that were pass plays were geared towards him getting the ball.
But yet, still, Smitty was out there making it happen.
Now he's gonna get those catches.
They're gonna be re- calling offense around him, and he's got the skillset to do it.
He, he, he puts himself in the position to always give Jalen the best means of getting the ball.
He creates that separation.
It's not really, you know, one of those things where A.J., you had to put the ball on A.J., and he could de-ball guys and, and catch it.
But you know, you look at the way A.J., I mean, the way DeVonta does it, he can generate that separation.
He's looking open because he is open.
So I'm looking forward to seeing what he's gonna do this year.
And I mean, it, it, it's gonna be so easy.
Now that you're not gonna be able to put your hands on him, what they put him in motion now.
It's hard enough when he's lining up in front of you for a DB to get his hands on him.
But now they're putting him in motion, he might get a running start at somebody.
It's gonna be hard pressed for these guys to really bracket him.
Because if we're moving around, they're not gonna be double teaming him.
He may have a great season this year.
Yeah.
Here's what I worry about with DeVonta Smith.
I don't worry that he can handle the load.
I look at if the rest of the receiver room are gonna get the respect needed for DeVonta to succeed.
Right.
Dante Tate, Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Makai Lemon, they're not proven right now in the NFL.
And, and I worry that DeVonta's gonna get double teamed because of that.
So that's definitely something- Yep to keep our eye on.
Earlier this off-season, DeVonta was asked about taking over as the number one guy.
Take a listen.
I mean, I'm just going out there and do my job.
I mean, regardless, whatever, however you wanna look at it, one, two, three, four, whatever you wanna look at it, at the end of the day, we all have jobs we gotta go out there and do.
You know, everybody wants to compete, everybody wants to be the best.
We all out there to help each other, but ultimately, we all here to compete for a position.
I think that's the, that's the good thing about having this job, you know?
You, you, you with guys and you compete with, with everybody, but at the end of the day, it's all love.
And meanwhile, DeVonta Smith has been very busy this off-season.
He got married.
Dancing there with Jalen Hurts.
Line dancing sure to be used more than a few times this season.
I think that's gonna be the touchdown dance there.
I see it now.
No question.
I mean, I, I, I couldn't do that.
You know what I'm saying?
But you know, he, he's that type of player.
He can pull off the white.
I can't pull off the white.
I'm too big to wear white.
You know what I'm saying?
So- That's a good outfit That's a good outfit
