That’s an average of $50 million a season. Keep in mind Anderson was drafted in 2023, the same year as Eagles first-round picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. One year before Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. <\/p>\n
The Eagles already signed one of their drafted defensive lineman to a massive contract extension earlier this offseason, inking Jordan Davis to a three-year extension worth $78 million — an average annual salary of $26 million. Davis is the second-highest paid interior defensive lineman in football per average annual salary.<\/p>\n
While the Eagles don’t have any pass rushers currently on the roster that won’t garner massive extensions like Anderson, they do have homegrown players that are set to revamp the market for their position. <\/p>\n
Who are those eligible Eagles? And how soon could they be getting massive contracts?<\/p>\n
Jalen Carter (DT, 2023 first-round pick)<\/p>\n
Highest-paid player at position: Chris Jones ($31,750,000)<\/p>\n
Carter is eligible for his fifth-year option this offseason, and the Eagles are going to exercise it prior to the deadline. That will give Carter two more years of being an an Eagles unform, with an ballooning defensive linemen market.<\/p>\n
The Eagles would be wise to set the standard with Carter as soon as possible, like the Houston Texans are doing with Anderson. That $50 million average annual salary will likely be a bargain halfway through that contract as salaries and a rising salary cap keep going up.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia can even go the short-term route with Carter like it did with Davis, three years with a high average annual salary. Carter is going to be a $30 million defensive tackle, but how much he gets paid will be determined by how quickly the Eagles can sign him to an extension. <\/p>\n
Quinyon Mitchell (CB, 2024 first-round pick)<\/p>\n
Highest-paid player at position: Trent McDuffie ($31,000,000)<\/p>\n
Mitchell has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL since he was drafted, earning First Team All-Pro honors in just his second season. He’s a year away from being extension eligible, but the Eagles would like to get a head start on a Mitchell extension, especially with a big third seaosn incoming.<\/p>\n
What will the cornerback market look like when Mitchell is extension eligible? Is Mitchell going to be the first cornerback to make an average annual salary of $40 million a season? This is certainly trending in that direction. <\/p>\n
The two cornerbacks to watch over the next year? Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez, both first-round picks in the 2023 class that had their first-year options picked up. Both should make more than McDuffie’s $31 million average annual salary. <\/p>\n
Cooper DeJean (CB, 2024 second-round pick)<\/p>\n
Highest-paid player at position: Trent McDuffie ($31,000,000)<\/p>\n
This is where the game changes. DeJean was a second-round pick in the 2024 class, so he has two more years under contract and no fifth-year extension. The Eagles will have to act fast regarding DeJean when he’s extension eligible after this season, as he can reset the cornerback market.<\/p>\n
Again, this is why Gonzalez and Witherspoon are important. While Gonzalez mostly plays boundary cornerback, Witherspoon is moved all over the field — like how the Eagles use DeJean. Witherspoon could set the market for DeJean, as he’ll be a free agent after the 2027 season. <\/p>\n
Between Mitchell and DeJean, it’s likly a DeJean deal gets completed first due to his contract. Mitchell will reset the market for cornerbacks while DeJean will play a significant role in that reset.<\/p>\n
The Eagles will be spending a lot of money on defense over the next few years — a price any team pays for drafting well. <\/p>\n
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