Eagles Star Defensive Tackle Ready For An L.A. Encore

The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle outplayed now-retired Aaron Donald a year ago and his conditioning and game have improved thanks to Vic Fangio.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) walks off the field after win against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Carter went to Los Angeles as a rookie and comparisons to the great future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald were being made with the frequency of a Shohei Ohtani home run.

He’s going back a year later when the Eagles visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday Night Football in a terrific matchup between a pair of red-hot teams. The Eagles have won six on a row, the Rams have won four of five.

Nobody knew it last year when the Eagles and Carter went there, but it would be the last time Donald would play the Eagles. The Rams lost that day, and Donald would end his career with a 1-4 record against the Eagles and without a single sack against them despite amassing 111 in his 10 standout seasons.

Just like nobody knew then, in Week 5 on Oct 8, that the game Carter would play against the Rams would be one of his best, if not the best, of a rookie season that seemed destined to end with him being named the Eagles’ first-ever Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Carter had two sacks against the Rams that day. It was the first of two multi-sack games in his blossoming career. His other came earlier this season in a 28-3 thumping of the New York Giants. The defensive tackle also made four tackles, two for loss, and two quarterback hits last year vs. the Rams.

"It was a good game,” said Carter on Friday. “I wouldn't say one of my better games. I feel like I had a couple of good games last year, but I guess it's one, yeah.”

Donald wore out a bit as the season went on and slipped to runner-up in the voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors behind Texans pass rusher Will Anderson, Jr.

This year, Donald’s snaps have increased. He played 48 percent of the snaps as a rookie, a total of 563. This year, he has been on the field for 80 percent of the snaps, a total of 494. Logic would indicate that means his conditioning has increased, too.

Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

He credits defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for that, and an improvement in his game from Year 1 to Year 2.

"I guess we’re just running more,” he said. “Coach Vic is an old-school type of coach. He wants to practice. He wants to do this. I'm pretty sure if we could hit, he'd want us to hit but you know he's an old school coach and back when we was running box drills and stuff that helped a lot.”

So have one-on-one meetings he and Fangio have.

“We go watch the film, whether it's Aaron Donald or we are watching my film of my last game and what I can get better with or don't do this and don't so that,” he said. “I think all that just helps a lot.”

Carter played every single snap in last week’s win over the Commanders, all 66 of them. It wasn’t a career-high. He played 76 snaps in an overtime win over the Bills last season. He didn’t realize he had played every snap against Washington on Thursday Night Football.

“I just saw it on Twitter and I think my mom sent it to me and I was like I didn't know that,” he said. “It just felt like a regular game. I was out there playing for my team.

“They got a lot of trust in me and they know that I'll go out there and give it my all for everybody on the field and try to give it my all for the team.”

More NFL: What Is The Impact On Eagles With Star Receiver Out?