The Eagles Only Have 3 Guys to Pay — The 'Can't Afford Everyone' Myth

Run the Numbers — It's Only Three Guys

The "Eagles can't pay everybody" narrative has become an accepted truth in Philadelphia. It's referenced in every cap conversation, every trade debate, every discussion about the team's future. There's just one problem: it's not true. When you actually go player by player through the roster, only three significant contract extensions are coming in the next two years.

Jalen Carter. Cooper DeJean. Quinyon Mitchell. That's it. That's the list.

The Offense Doesn't Need Extensions

On the offensive side of the ball, there's almost nobody to extend. DeVonta Smith just started a new deal. Saquon Barkley isn't getting extended. AJ Brown is being traded. Dallas Goedert is under contract. Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens are all locked up. Lane Johnson isn't getting a new deal at his age. Tyler Steen and Tanner McKee are on rookie contracts.

The only offensive player who might warrant a conversation is Jalen Hurts, and that's a restructure discussion, not an extension — his deal runs through 2028.

The Defense Has Clear Priorities

Defensively, the picture is equally straightforward. Jalen Carter will command $30-40 million per year. Cooper DeJean needs to be locked up before he hits the market — likely around $30 million. Quinyon Mitchell is in the same tier. Together, that's roughly $100 million committed to three cornerstone players.

Moro Ojo-Moh will likely walk in free agency. Nolan Smith needs to prove he can stay healthy and produce at a level worth $15-20 million per year. Jalex Hunt is a wait-and-see player. Jihad Campbell and Aamil McBride don't need extensions until 2029.

What This Actually Means

The salary cap is going up. The Eagles have fewer extension commitments than almost any team in the league. The "can't pay everybody" line works as talk radio fodder, but it doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Howie Roseman has the cap flexibility to lock up his three franchise cornerstones and still have room to operate in free agency and the draft.

The real question isn't whether the Eagles can afford their core — it's whether the players they're letting walk (Ojo-Moh, potentially Nolan Smith) will come back to haunt them the way losing Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat did. That's the actual cap risk, not some mythical $200 million commitment that doesn't exist.