Jaelan Phillips Is the Eagles' No. 1 Free Agency Target — And the Price Is Going Up

The Philadelphia Eagles have made their priorities clear heading into the 2026 offseason, and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips sits at the very top of the list.

After trading a third-round pick to acquire Phillips last season, letting him walk in free agency would represent a catastrophic loss of value for Howie Roseman and the front office. The Eagles need to bring him back — but the price tag is climbing fast.

The problem? This isn't a deep free agent class. League sources describe the 2026 group as underwhelming across the board, and that scarcity is going to inflate prices for the few legitimate difference-makers available. Phillips, ranked as a top-three overall free agent by multiple outlets, is going to benefit from that supply-and-demand dynamic.

Remember what happened with Milton Williams last year. The Eagles projected a deal somewhere around $20 million annually, and then Carolina drove the bidding to $23 million before New England swooped in at $26 million. That's a $6 million gap between expectation and reality — and it's exactly the kind of escalation that could happen with Phillips.

The realistic range for Phillips appears to be somewhere between $17 million and $25 million per year. At $17 million, the Eagles would sprint to the podium. At $25 million, they'd have a much more difficult calculation to make, especially given their tight cap situation.

There's also the injury factor. Phillips has dealt with significant durability concerns throughout his career, including a torn Achilles that cost him the 2023 season with Miami. When healthy, he's a game-wrecker off the edge. But that qualifier — "when healthy" — is doing a lot of heavy lifting in any contract negotiation.

The Eagles typically set walk-away numbers in free agency negotiations, and they'll have one for Phillips too. But this feels like a situation where Roseman might need to stretch beyond his comfort zone. Losing Phillips would leave a massive hole on the defensive line, and the alternatives — either in the draft or elsewhere in free agency — don't come close to replacing his upside.

If the Eagles are serious about competing for a Super Bowl in 2026, keeping Phillips has to be the play. The question is whether some team with more cap space decides to blow the bidding wide open. Philadelphia can't afford to get outbid, but they also can't afford to overpay for a player with durability question marks.

It's the kind of high-stakes poker game that defines NFL offseasons. And for the Eagles, the chips are all in on Jaelan Phillips.