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ShareJalen Carter’s shoulder injury is ‘a little serious,’ but the Eagles’ defensive star is playing through it


Carter admitted on Thursday the shoulder injury that has lingered since the offseason is affecting his play. But he says he can't let the injury "be the blame" for lacking production.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter is nursing a shoulder injury that has bothered him since the offseason.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
by Jeff Neiburg
Published Oct. 2, 2025, 6:31 p.m. ET

Listen to article • 3:53 min

There was a sequence during the second Tampa Bay Buccaneers drive of the fourth quarter last Sunday when Jalen Carter, on the sideline with a shoulder injury, would inch closer to the playing field after every play, hoping to return to the game.

Once or twice, Carter was reminded to back up by an Eagles staffer. He was standing too close to the field, regardless of how much he wanted to get on the field to help the Eagles stop the Bucs from cutting into their eight-point lead.

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The time eventually came. Carter returned for a second-and-9 from the 22-yard line with 8 minutes, 45 seconds left in the game. Three plays later, on a first-and-10 from the 11-yard line, Joshua Uche beat his man and applied almost instant pressure toBucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, who climbed the pocket but ran into a wall at the line of scrimmage.

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With Carter diving for his feet, Mayfield reversed and threw off-balance and into the end zone, toward the waiting hands of Jihaad Campbell.

The Eagles had a key turnover, but Carter took a little extra time to get up He’s playing through pain right now, and the shoulder injury that has been bothering him since the offseason bothered him Sunday once again, especially after he dove at Mayfield.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter dives after Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield that forced a fourth quarter interception.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Carter acknowledged the obvious Thursday, that the injury is affecting his play. Still, as the sequence from Sunday in Tampa shows, he is playing at a relatively high level and can impact a game even if he’s less than 100%.

“Sometimes I get a rush in or I’m playing the run and I feel it, I drop my shoulder or something,” he said. “I can’t let that be the blame. I’m still out there, I’m still playing. If it’s hurting me that bad I’ll just stop.

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“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. But as of right now it feels good enough to play.”

Carter added: “It’s a little serious, but I’m working through it, fighting through it.”

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Carter was listed as a limited participant in practice Wednesday but was upgraded to a full participant Thursday. He said he doesn’t think the injury can be made much worse than what it is now. He gets extra treatment at the facility and does extra stretching before games.

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Asked if the injury has impacted his conditioning — Vic Fangio was critical of the shape Carter was in a few weeks ago — Carter said: “No. My shoulder and my legs are different.”

Conditioning-wise, he doesn’t think he’s at in ideal shape, and he certainly isn’t at the same form he was in down the stretch of last season, when the Eagles relied on him to play the vast majority of the defensive snaps.

But Carter also said that the Eagles were “playing it smart” with him and that he trusts the other defensive tackles in the rotation and doesn’t need to be on the field as often.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter has a 9.4% pressure rate this season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Carter’s pressure rate is slightly down about a percentage point from last season to 9.4%, according to Next Gen Stats. He has 11 pressures in his three games, including four Sunday against the Bucs, when he had one of his best games of the young season even though he was sidelined for some of it with his injury.

This Sunday’s game against the visiting Denver Broncos offers another chance for the Eagles’ defensive line to change a game. Denver’s offensive line has played well, but its strength is on the outside at the tackle positions. It’s beatable in the middle.

“They like to run the ball, and every defense’s main goal is to stop the run,” Carter said. “That’s the main goal for us. If we stop the run, let [our] offense get on a run, put some points on the board, then it’s time to throw the ball, and we’ll have some fun with that.”