Roob's Observations: Will Jeffrey Simmons' Deal Help Eagles Sign Jalen Carter?

Roob's Observations: Will Jeffrey Simmons' deal help Eagles sign Jalen Carter? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

How does the Jeffrey Simmons contract affect Jalen Carter? What Eagle played the most games in franchise history without reaching the postseason? And what’s the most important day of the Eagles’ 2026 season?

We continue plowing through the NFL dead period with another fun batch of Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Offseason Observations.

And I promise: No soccer content.

HOW JEFFREY SIMMONS IMPACTS JALEN CARTER: It will be interesting to see whether the Jeffrey Simmons contract kick starts negotiations between the Eagles and Jalen Carter. Simmons re-set the interior lineman market with his three-year, $105.8 million contract, which includes $100 million in guaranteed money. Simmons is a five-time Pro Bowler and was a 1^st-team all-pro last year, and his average annual salary – $35.27 million per year – is the most ever for a defensive tackle, supplanting Chris Jones of the Chiefs, who is averaging $31.75 million per year. Carter’s 2024 season was as good as any of Simmons’ seasons, but Simmons has done it year after year on a consistent basis and Carter hasn’t. But Simmons is also 3 ½ years older than Carter, who just turned 25. Carter shouldn’t get as much as Simmons, but he should be fairly close, so maybe the Simmons deal helps define Carter’s value in the $32 to $33 million per year range. Just above Jones but just below Simmons. It’s a little scary putting that kind of money in Carter’s pocket because of questions about his maturity (Dak on opening day), questions about his fitness (which Vic Fangio questioned early last year) and questions about his health (procedures last year on both shoulders). But his talent is insane. When he’s right, he’s an unstoppable force. If the Eagles don’t get a Carter deal done before the season starts, negotiations will stop until after next season. So the two sides have about 2 ½ months to get this figured out. The Eagles would love to get Carter locked up, and Carter would love to put close to $100 million in his pocket. You’d think that along with the Simmons deal would be enough to get this thing done.

MOST GAMES WITHOUT A PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: If you’re like me, you just randomly wonder stuff. And the other day I just randomly started wondering what player played the most games in Eagles history without ever playing in the postseason. The answer is Nate Ramsey, who was with the Eagles during a really lean stretch – the early 1960s through the early 1970s. Ramsey played 134 games as an Eagle from 1963 through 1973, the 28^th-most games in franchise history. The Eagles were 50-96-8 during that span with just one winning season – 9-5 in 1966. They actually didn’t reach the postseason for 17 consecutive years, from 1961 through 1977 with just the one winning season. Next on the list of most games in Eagles history without a playoff appearance: Linebacker Don Hultz (119 games from 1964 through 1973), Tom Woodeshick (111 games from 1963 through 1971), Bill Bradley (110 from 1969 through 1976), Gary Pettigrew (106 from 1966 through 1974), Dave Lloyd (105 from 1963 through 1970), Al Nelson (105 from 1965 through 1973), Ben Hawkins (104 from 1966 through 1973) and Jim Skaggs (100 from 1963 through 1972). Every one of those players was on the 1970 and 1971 teams.

IS HE A TACKLE OR A GUARD? I like seeing the Eagles work Myles Hinton into the mix at guard. Hinton, the Eagles’ 6^th-round pick last year, stands 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, and he played tackle in college at Stanford and Michigan. But the Eagles have veteran Fred Johnson and rookie 3^rd-round pick Markel Bell as backup tackles, and they need guard depth more than tackle depth right now. They have Drew Kendall, last year’s 5^th-round pick, but he’s really a center, and there’s this year’s rookie 6^th-round pick, Micah Morris, who was a solid college player. But especially with Landon Dickerson’s injury concerns, upgrading guard depth makes a lot of sense, and although it was surprising at first seeing Hinton at guard, the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. He’s a huge dude, and the Eagles certainly aren’t averse to moving massive tackles with no guard experience inside. We saw it with Mekhi Becton two years ago. So another guy to keep an eye on in training camp. Hinton doesn’t have a roster spot secured, but the more you can do the better your chances, and Hinton has a chance.

YEAR AFTER YEAR: The Eagles, Bills and Steelers are the only teams that have had a winning record in each of the last five years. The Eagles are the only one of those teams that won’t have a new head coach in 2026. 

A STEAL IN THE SECOND ROUND: It’s easy to forget what a tremendous draft pick DeSean Jackson was in the middle of the second round in 2008. Jackson’s 11,263 career receiving yards are 7^th-most in NFL history by a 2^nd-round pick and only two of the six ahead of him were drafted as late as 49^th overall (Anquan Boldin and Davante Adams). Jackson’s 66 career touchdowns are 11^th-most by a 2^nd-round pick, and his 17.6 career yards per catch is 2^nd-highest by a 2^nd-round pick (minimum 500 catches) behind only Hall of Famer Lance Alworth. Jackson and Hall of Famer and former Eagle James Lofton are the only players in NFL history with at least 11,000 receiving yards and a 17.0 average. And get this: Jackson was the seventh WR taken in the 2008 draft, but he made more Pro Bowls in his career (three) than the six ahead of him combined (one). 

STREAKING INTO 2026: DeVonta Smith has caught at least one pass in 62 straight games, the 8^th-longest current streak in the NFL and 9^th-longest in Eagles history. Smith can move up pretty far on the Eagles streak list this year if he continues catching passes. Within reach this year are Brian Westbrook (64 straight over 2003 through 2008), Mike Quick (65 from 1984 through 1990), Fred Barnett (71 from 1990 through 1995) and DeSean Jackson (75 from 2008 through 2019). The longest streaks in Eagles history belong to Harold Carmichael (127 from 1972 through 1980), Zach Ertz (95 straight from 2014 through 2021), Keith Byars (87 from 1987 through 1992) and Tommy McDonald (80 from 1957 through 1963). The last time Smith played and didn’t catch a pass was opening day 2022, when he was held without a reception in the 38-35 win over the Lions at Ford Field.

HOW DID THEY LOSE THAT GAME? What were the Eagles’ odds of losing to the 49ers when they took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter of their wild-card game at the Linc as six-point favorites? Going into that game, teams that were favored by at least six points and led by at least six points going into the fourth quarter were 139-1 in the postseason in NFL history, with the only loss coming in 2018, when the Chiefs – as 8 ½-point favorites – led the Titans 21-10 through three quarters in their wild-card game at Arrowhead Stadium before losing to 22-21, Marcus Mariota over Alex Smith. You have to like those odds. Especially considering how banged-up the 49ers were. So 99.3 percent of the time the team with the touchdown lead wins that game. That was such a terrible loss, one of the Eagles’ worst playoff losses ever. Because that game was so right there for them to win. 

JALEN HURTS STAT OF THE WEEK: Jalen Hurts is one of only 11 quarterbacks to reach two Super Bowls in his 20s. The others are Hall of Famers John Elway, Troy Aikman, Bob Griese, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Brett Favre, future Hall of Famers Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady and possible Hall of Famers Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson. 

TYLER STEEN IS ACTUALLY GOOD: I think it’s natural for people to think of Tyler Steen as the weak link on the Eagles’ offensive line because he’s the only starter who hasn’t been a Pro Bowler or all-pro. But Steen was very good last year, and his Pro Football Focus overall grade of 73.4 was 14^th-highest of 67 guards who played at least 500 snaps last year. His 73.4 run blocking grade was 11^th-highest, and his 75.4 pass blocking grade was 10^th-highest. He was one of only four guards who graded out at 73 or higher both run and pass blocking, along with eight-time Pro Bowler Quenton Nelson of the Colts, Damien Lewis of the Panthers and the Titans’ Peter Skoronski. Steen is solid.

KEEP AN EYE ON NOV. 26: You can make a case that the Eagles’ most important game every year is the Cowboys on the road. They don’t win very often in North Texas, but when they do their odds of winning the NFC East are pretty good. In fact the last two times the Eagles won at AT&T Stadium were 2017 and 2024, and they went on to win the Super Bowl both years. Eight of the last 12 times they won in Dallas they won the NFC East. But Nick Sirianni is 1-4 in Dallas, the same record Doug Pederson had. This year’s Eagles road game in Dallas is Nov. 26, a Thursday night in Week 12.