Eagles pick up fifth-year options for Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carter-jalen/MiUAmCxS/"]Carter[/a], 25, will make $27.1 million in 2027. Meanwhile, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-nolan/rTsEEX23/"]Smith[/a], also 25, will make $13.7 million.[/p][p]Both players who played at Georgia together in college were selected by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-eagles/dGgVhRLK/"]Eagles[/a] in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and have since become key pieces in the front seven of their defense. [/p][embed guid="6d86bcb5-aa18-41e6-bc27-0a1ebcf0e6ba" url="https://x.com/Eagles/status/2048882519416652253?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Carter finished runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 after putting up what is still a career-high six sacks, along with 33 tackles, in 16 games (one start). [/p][p]In the following two seasons, Carter became an All-Pro (2024) and a two-time Pro Bowler. He caused some controversy in the very first game of this past season after spitting on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dallas-cowboys/S8sFw8iL/"]Dallas Cowboys[/a] quarterback [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/prescott-dak/KxpJW82T/"]Dak Prescott[/a]. [/p][p]Carter would play in a career-low 11 games after undergoing surgery on both of his shoulders, finishing the 2025 season with 33 tackles and career-low three sacks, but still set a career-high with seven pass deflections [/p][embed guid="b1bc2989-2567-40ee-8056-6a7b6b54aeb3" url="https://x.com/NFL/status/1881116826991505893?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]As for Smith, after a rookie season in which he didn't start a single game but still played in all 17 regular season games at inside linebacker, he began to find his stride in 2024 and 2025. [/p][p]In 16 games (10 starts) in 2024, Smith put up a career high in both sacks (6.5), tackles (42), and tackles for loss (8) while playing outside linebacker. [/p][p]A year later, Smith missed out on the first five games of the season after undergoing surgery for torn triceps.[/p][p]He played and started in 12 games last season, tallying 31 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, and even tied his amount of QB hits (11) from the year prior despite playing in fewer games. [/p][embed guid="5aaf4f36-bbb6-4a44-98e4-8839e1e7391b" url="https://x.com/NFL/status/1881108022228815892?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]