Eagles’ Jalen Carter Receives Long Shot Award-Winning Prediction That’s Not Impossible

After a down 2025 season, the Philadelphia Eagles are trying to return to Super Bowl contention in 2026. The offense underwent significant changes, but for the most part, the defense has remained the same.

Jonathan Greenard replaces Jaelan Phillips, and Riq Woolen was a huge addition in free agency. However, while they're important new faces, the one player who really needs to put in a good season in 2026 is Jalen Carter.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com shared a bold "long shot" prediction on Carter, and if he and the Eagles needed a big season out of the star interior defensive lineman, this award-winning prediction would certainly do just that.

"If the 6-foot-3, 314-pounder avoids the distractions that impact his play, Carter absolutely could hoist the Defensive Player of the Year award next February," Brooks writes.

Seeing Carter win the Defensive Player of the Year award for the Eagles in 2026 would be an incredibly cool outcome for the Philadelphia fan base.

Carter's potential to be great has always been there, but he's yet to fully tap into such potential in one season. But that doesn't mean he doesn't show flashes.

The two-time Pro Bowler has 13 passes defended, four forced fumbles, 13.5 sacks, 108 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 37 QB hits, and a second-team All-Pro nod in his career already.

Three seasons in, and Carter has proven to be a very high-upside interior defensive lineman. Winning the Defensive Player of the Year award won't be easy, however.

Looking at NFL history, the majority of DPOY winners are edge rushers and cornerbacks. Aaron Donald, who won the award three times in his career as likely the best defensive tackle in NFL history, is the most recent example of an IDL winning the award.

Before Donald, Warren Sapp, back in 1999, was the most recent interior defensive lineman to win this award. Carter has his work cut out for him to join such elite company.

If he can tap into the potential game-wrecking ability he's shown at times throughout his career, Carter winning the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award might not be all that far-fetched.

Besides, if there were ever a time for Carter to have a breakout season, it would be in 2026 in the second-to-last year of his current deal.

As the Eagles question whether to sign him to a massive $30 million-plus per-year deal, Carter winning the DOPY award would certainly increase his payday and make the Eagles more likely to hand such an offer to the star lineman.