Shoulder Issue Will Sideline Eagles Star Defensive Tackle Jalen Carter

Carter will miss Sunday’s game against the L.A. Chargers, and he’s considered week-to-week. The Eagles defense gave up 281 rushing yards in their last game.

The Philadelphia Eagles will go without star defensive tackle Jalen Carter in Sunday’s Week 14 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Carter had a procedure done for both shoulders and will be week-to-week, possibly back for the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Shoulder issues have been a problem for Carter this season—he missed time during training camp and talked about “a stinger” after the Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio confirmed Carter’s ongoing problems during Wednesday’s press conference.

“He does have a shoulder issue,” Fangio told reporters. “He has been playing with it.”

Carter looked less effective in Week 13 during a 24–15 loss to the Chicago Bears. He played 70.1 percent of the defensive snaps, his lowest for a full game this season.

Philadelphia couldn’t slow down the Bears’ running attack, which piled up 281 yards. Carter had only four tackles, a sack, a quarterback hit, and two pass deflections. He took responsibility for his role in the defeat and potentially alluded to his shoulder issues.

“There was some runs out there where I got drove back where I wasn’t making no effect on the play,” Carter told reporters. “It’s my problems to deal with. I ain’t gonna tell everybody what I’m going through.”

Carter had talked about his shoulder at length in October after a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He called it “a little serious” at the time.

“But I’m working through it, fighting through it,” Carter told reporters after that game. “Everybody has injuries, depending on if it’s small or if it’s big, but when the right time comes, if I need to stop and take a little break to work more on my shoulder, that time is going to come.”

Now, it’s time for the Eagles to find answers without Carter. They lead the NFC East at 8–4, but the Dallas Cowboys are lurking at 6–5–1, and the Wild Card race has three other teams with records similar to the Eagles’.

Interior defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo will have to step up in Carter’s absence. Ojomo is tied for the most sacks on the team with four, and Davis has three.

Rookie defensive lineman Ty Robinson and veteran Byron Young could also see more action. Young has 15 tackles in 12 games, and Robinson has played in six games with 35 defensive snaps thus far.

Defensive end Brandon Graham could also move inside when an opponent is likely to pass. Fangio has done that before with Graham.

“We could play him in there more,” Fangio told reporters in November after the loss to Dallas. “He can rush pretty good from in there. We were playing a lot of plays, and guys needed a break.”

Philadelphia already had depth concerns along the defensive line this year when the team lost Milton Williams in free agency and Thomas Booker via a trade. The Eagles could turn to defensive linemen Gabe Hall and Ta’Quon Graham on the practice squad if needed.

While Carter has played hurt, he has been quite effective this season with 32 tackles, two sacks, and 11 quarterback hits. Overall, the 2024 All-Pro and Pro Bowler has 107 tackles, 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 12 pass deflections in less than three full seasons.

Fangio pointed out the defensive unit’s struggles as a whole of late. Philadelphia has surrendered 24 points in each of the past two losses.

“Yeah, it was a lot like the rest of us, you know? Some good, some not good. I think we were all guilty of that,” Fangio said.