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By Matthew Davis
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The Philadelphia Eagles invested historically big in defensive tackle Jalen Carter, but the Eagles are far from alone in paying a star defensive tackle big money.
Carter’s four-year $152 million contract extension means he will get a league-best $38 million annually among defensive tackles. ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted the next four highest annual earners at that position, so here’s a breakdown of how well these teams are investing in their top defensive tackles — or not.
Jalen Carter
It’s undeniable what Carter can do. He’s dominant and gives quarterbacks trouble. Carter has 13.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 108 tackles in his young career, just three years in.
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He has stayed relatively healthy in the process with only seven games missed in three seasons, a critical part of paying a star massive money. The Eagles have made a wise investment in the former Georgia star, who helped Philadelphia win a Super Bowl in the 2024 season.
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Jeffery Simmons
The Tennessee Titans star makes $35.2 million annually, and it has paid off overall. Simmons has 42.5 sacks, 376 tackles, eight forced fumbles and 27 pass deflections in seven seasons with Tennessee. Similar to Carter, durability hasn’t been a major concern as Simmons has played at least 15 games in all but two seasons of his career.
Chris Jones
The Kansas City Chiefs have made the most of paying Jones $31.7 million annually. He has 87.5 sacks, 339 tackles, 13 forced fumbles and 39 pass deflections in his 10-year career.
Jones has never played fewer than 13 games in a season, and he helped the Chiefs win three Super Bowls in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Dexter Lawrence II
The Cincinnati Bengals are paying Lawrence $28 million after landing him a trade with the New York Giants. It’s a big investment for the Bengals, as Lawrence has enjoyed success for much of his career. He has 30.5 sacks, 341 tackles, five forced fumbles and 15 pass deflections in seven seasons. That said, Lawrence had just 31 tackles, 0.5 sacks, an interception and four pass deflections in 17 games last year. The Bengals are taking a calculated rest on a player who has played at least 16 games every year of his career except in 2024 due to injury.
Milton Williams
The New England Patriots pay Williams $26 million annually, and his prowess in the trenches helped with a run to the Super Bowl last season. Williams has 15 sacks, 161 tackles, two forced fumbles and seven pass deflections in five seasons.
Formerly with the Eagles, he played just 12 games for the Patriots last year, but he has been otherwise durable throughout his career. The Eagles may regret Williams getting away in free agency to New England.
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