Eagles’ Jalen Carter Expected To Return In Week 17; Latest On Lane Johnson
Having already clinched the NFC East, the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles are getting healthier ahead of another potential title run. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is expected to return in Week 17 in Buffalo, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The same goes for right tackle Lane Johnson, per Schefter. However, his status is murkier after he did not participate in practice on Thursday.
Carter fully practiced on Thursday, a sign he’s set to come back after a three-game absence. The third-year star did enough over his first 10 games this season to earn his second straight Pro Bowl nod, but shoulder problems have kept him out for all of December.
Carter received multiple shots in both shoulders earlier this month. His shoulders have bothered him since last spring, and the 6-foot-3, 314-pounder may not bounce back to 100% this season. It’s something he’s likely to address in the offseason, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
In the meantime, Philadelphia should benefit from Carter’s return. Even though he hasn’t played at full strength this year, Carter has totaled 32 tackles, 11 QB hits, six passes defensed and two sacks.
The Eagles’ defense, tied for third in points per game allowed, relied on Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo and Byron Young while Carter was on the shelf. Defensive end Brandon Graham has also seen action along the interior in recent weeks. With three sacks over the past two games, the 37-year-old Graham has turned back the clock.
Like Graham, the 35-year-old Johnson remains a valuable contributor despite his age. Johnson has started in all 10 appearances this season, but the six-time Pro Bowler and potential Hall of Famer hasn’t played since suffering a Lisfranc injury in his right foot in Week 11. Although Johnson has missed five games in a row, the Eagles opted against placing him on injured reserve.
In the event Lane Johnson’s absence drags into Sunday, Fred Johnson will continue filling in for him on the right side. The seventh-year man would make a career-high seventh start in that scenario.
Eagles DT Jalen Carter To Miss Time After Procedures On Both Shoulders
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter underwent procedures on both of his shoulders to address lingering injuries and will miss one week as a result, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It is important to note that Carter had a medical procedure, but not a surgery, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He is considered week-to-week, but is expected to return at some point this season.
After last week’s loss to the Bears, Carter revealed that he had been dealing with his shoulder issues since the spring. He played through it up to this point and has done so with an impressive 85% snap share, which is a lot for his position even without the injuries. The 2023 first-rounder has not been as dominant in the trenches with only two sacks and four tackles for loss in 12 games, a step back from last year’s production. He still has 36 pressures, 10th-most among defensive tackles, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Carter, 24, opted to have the procedures now in order to get back to 100% before the playoffs. The Eagles are currently leading the NFC East and are expected to qualify for the postseason, but the conference race is much tighter. Five other teams have a record equal to or better than Philadelphia’s, with three teams one game back. Having Carter at full strength in the playoffs is more important than having him below 100% in the next five games.
The Eagles will hope Moro Ojomo and Jordan Davis can step up in terms of their performance in Carter’s absence, but both are already at a 60% snap share and will not be able to fill their teammate’s snaps. The team will instead ask Byron Young and Ty Robinson to take on a bigger role in the defense. Young, a Raiders third-rounder in 2023, has not produced much this season, while Robinson is a fourth-round rookie who has only played 35 snaps this year.
Philadelphia’s D-line will have to hold the line over the next few games until Carter returns. If he can come back with a vengeance at last year’s level of play, he could be a crucial difference-maker in the playoffs.
MetLife Turf Played Role In Jalen Carter’s Week 6 Absence
MetLife Stadium, home of the Giants and the Jets, has once again entered the spotlight due to injury concerns about its turf.
Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending knee injury during a Week 4 game at home after landing awkwardly on the field, re-igniting players’ objections to MetLife’s playing surface.
Then, this past week, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was a surprise inactive for a visit to MetLife Stadium on Thursday Night Football. The turf “played a part” in Carter’s decision to sit out, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Carter is the first player known to specifically avoid playing a game at MetLife, though other players may have made similar choices in the past. Future game day inactives at MetLife may draw questions about the turf’s influence in their decision not to play.
Those events fueled a widespread belief among players that grass is safer to play on than turf. One team is “petrified” of playing at MetLife, with an executive noting that players may be less inclined to play through injury when visiting the New York teams. Leaguewide, more than 90% of players have said they prefer grass in the last two NFLPA surveys, according to The Athletic’s Diana Russini. Of particular confusion is the decision by several stadiums to switch from turf to grass for upcoming soccer tournaments with plans to switch back to turf for football.
However, injury data from the league tells a different story. Since installing a new FieldTurf Core system in 2023, injuries have at MetLife have decreased; last year, it had one of the lowest injury rates in the NFL, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Research from the Jets indicates that players have suffered more knee ligament or Achilles tears on grass compared to turf fields, and league data also shows that lower-extremity injuries are actually less common at MetLife.
NFLPA executive director David White mentioned players’ concern about MetLife’s turf to the Giants during a pre-planned visit that took place after Nabers’ injury, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Still, neither the NFL nor either of the home teams plan to make any changes to the playing surface at MetLife, though it seems to be a point of contention that players will continue to raise.
NFL To Fine Eagles DT Jalen Carter; No Suspension Coming
No suspension is on tap in connection with Jalen Carter‘s spitting incident. The standout Eagles defensive tackle will be eligible to face the Chiefs in Week 2.
A $57K fine will be levied, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Week 1 — when Carter was ejected without playing a down — will serve as the third-year DT’s de facto suspension. This fine covers a game check on Carter’s rookie contract.
The Eagles and Carter worked out an arrangement in which future guarantees will not void as part of this NFL-imposed fine, Schefter adds. The team, as should be expected with a player of this caliber, will not seek any signing bonus forfeiture, either. Carter is now in the clear, though this incident will certainly ding a reputation that already sustained hits prior to his Philadelphia arrival.
Because the NFL is treating this like Carter was suspended for a game, the Eagles could have voided his guarantees. With the team undoubtedly eyeing an extension for the 2023 first-round pick — who becomes eligible for a new deal in January — it does not surprise it would work out an arrangement to protect his guarantees and signing bonus money. Having Carter for Week 2 will also provide a significant boost, as the Cowboys pushed the defending Super Bowl champions without the Georgia product available.
Viewed as perhaps the 2023 draft class’ top talent, Carter fell to No. 9 after a handful of teams passed on him. Carter was hit with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing. These charges came in connection with the accident that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy on Jan. 15, 2023 (LeCroy and Willock were in a separate vehicle). Carter reached a plea deal in this case, avoiding jail time, but some teams removed him from their draft boards as a result of the accident. That turned out to benefit the Eagles, who traded up one spot (via the Bears) to nab the high-end DT talent.
A suspension was believed to be in play, as Carter spit on Dak Prescott just after the opening kickoff. The Cowboys quarterback had spit in Carter’s direction prior to the ejection; the 24-year-old D-tackle spit on the star quarterback soon after. Dallas enjoyed success offensively against the Eagles, putting up 20 first-half points. Vic Fangio‘s defense adjusted, as the teams combined for just three points after the second-half lightning delay. But Carter serves as the Eagles’ front-seven anchor; having him available will give them a much better chance of containing the Chiefs in the teams’ Super Bowl LIX rematch.
This ban will presumably influence future punishments for spitting, though players would probably run the risk of an actual suspension if such an act occurs well into a game. Carter being let off without a true ban is due to him not playing a down Thursday night.
NFL Could Suspend Eagles DT Jalen Carter
SEPTEMBER 8: No decision has been made yet regarding supplemental discipline for Carter at this point, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. He adds the league’s evaluation process is expected to conclude early this week, so clarity in the case case should emerge shortly.
SEPTEMBER 7: Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter did not play a single snap during his club’s win over the Cowboys in the NFL’s regular season opener on Thursday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carter may also miss at least Philadelphia’s Week 2 matchup with the Chiefs, as the league could suspend the 2024 Pro Bowler.
Following an injury to Philadelphia fullback Ben VanSumeren on the opening kickoff, Carter spit on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott while the two teams were waiting on the field during the ensuing injury delay (it later became clear that Prescott spit in the direction of Carter and the Eagles’ defense before Carter’s retaliation). Carter was promptly ejected, and a decision from the NFL as to whether the Georgia product will miss any additional games is expected on Monday.
He will at least receive a substantial fine, per Schefter, who says a speech given by NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent during the spring owner’s meetings could be instructive in this matter. In his speech, Vincent said sportsmanship posed one of the biggest threats to the NFL’s brand, and that there would be “zero tolerance for acts that demean the game.”
The Eagles survived the Cowboys contest and hung on for a 24-20 victory, but Carter’s absence was noticeable, particularly in the early stages of the game. The team would obviously love to have him on the field for the upcoming Super Bowl rematch.
Carter, the ninth overall pick of the 2023 draft, finished second to Texans defensive end Will Anderson in Defensive Player of the Year voting in his rookie season and earned Second Team All-Pro acclaim last year, in addition to his first Pro Bowl nod. He has compiled 10.5 sacks, 25 quarterback hits, and 20 tackles for loss over his first two years in the league.
“It was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again,” Carter said after the game. “I feel bad for my teammates and the fans out there. … It won’t happen again. I can make that promise.”
Technically, a suspension of any length would automatically void the remaining guarantees on Carter’s rookie contract, as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports confirms. However, Jones says the club would not try to claw back any money, so the ascending player will likely earn every dollar due to him under his deal. He will be extension-eligible after the 2025 season.
Head coach Nick Sirianni did not indicate whether Carter would receive any internal discipline.
Looking At Pro Bowl Rosters’ Impact On Fifth-Year Option Statuses
The NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters Thursday. While superstars and veterans tied to big-ticket contracts headline the AFC and NFC squads, rookie-contract players are part of both sides for an event no longer featuring an actual all-star game.
While the Pro Bowl’s prestige peak occurred decades ago, the 2020 CBA still ties invites to players’ value. Players selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot (non-alternates) will see their fifth-year option prices change. The 2025 offseason will be the fifth year in which players will see their option values determined partially by Pro Bowl recognition, but Thursday’s results will impact the 2026 and 2027 fifth-year option outcomes as well.
Players who receive two Pro Bowl invites during their first three seasons skyrocket to the top of the four-tiered fifth-year option hierarchy, which will feature a value that matches the amount of that year’s franchise tag at each position. Players who draw one original-ballot invite during their first three seasons will be tied to the second option tier, which matches the transition tag value at that position.
This only applies to former first-round picks, as no other rookie contracts include a fifth-year option. With that in mind, here are the players from the 2022, ’23 and ’24 first rounds to be invited to the Pro Bowl. Here are the ex-first-rounders who changed their option statuses this week:
2022 draft:
- S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
- C Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
- G Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys
- CB Derek Stingley, Houston Texans
Baltimore’s two-first-rounder 2022 draft, made possible thanks to the Marquise Brown trade, produced two Pro Bowlers. This marks the second Pro Bowl for both Hamilton and Linderbaum, bringing both players to the top fifth-year option tier. For Linderbaum, that will inflate his price to that of the offensive line franchise tag number, since all O-lineman are grouped together under this formula. That will make a fifth-year option call trickier for the Ravens, who will certainly pick up Hamilton’s by the May deadline.
This is Stingley’s first Pro Bowl, which will push the former No. 3 overall pick’s 2026 option price into the second tier among corners. Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM extension raised the bar at the position this summer, and the Texans will be able to negotiate with their top corner beginning later this month. This is Smith’s first Pro Bowl nod as well; he was named an alternate to the 2023 event.
2023 draft:
- DT Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
- WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
- CB Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
While Thursday’s announcement crystalized the value of the 2022 first-rounders with regards to the fifth-year option, the ’23 Round 1 crop still has more time. Witherspoon has landed in the Pro Bowl a second time, locking the former No. 5 overall pick into the top echelon of the CB option structure.
Conversely, this is the first original-ballot Pro Bowl for Carter, Flowers and Gibbs. The Lions running back was an alternate last season. The trio’s 2025 showings will determine if they can join Witherspoon on the highest level of the 2026 option hierarchy.
2024 draft:
- TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
- QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- OLB Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
The NFL’s top rookies have begun to raise their values. Although the Commanders, Raiders and Rams do not have to make option calls on this trio until May 2027, each player has already secured at least second-tier status for when that time comes. They are unlikely to stay on that level. Daniels is on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Bowers has already broken Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for tight end yardage by a rookie. Verse, the first Rams first-round pick since Jared Goff, is on track for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.
Draft Rumors: Williams, Bears, Fashanu, Latham, Bolts, Bowers, Seahawks, Murphy
Pass rusher and wide receiver have been mentioned most often as the Bears‘ targets at No. 9 overall. Though, the player who will almost definitely be chosen at No. 1 (Caleb Williams) in a few hours seems to have Chicago’s D-line ranked outside the top two among his positional priorities here.
“I’d probably go Olu Fashanu because I know he’d put his life on the line for me, protecting me,” Williams said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “Then I’d go one of the top three wide receivers.”
A Penn State-developed tackle, Fashanu played high school football (at Gonzaga College HS in Washington D.C.) with Williams. That makes it unsurprising the 2022 Heisman winner would stump for his old teammate. The Bears are believed to have a tackle addition on their radar for No. 9, with GM Ryan Poles splitting his staff into pods debating the merits of taking a tackle, edge rusher or wide receiver with that pick. Chicago looks to have done more work on wideouts and pass rushers, being linked to adding a weapon — potentially Rome Odunze or tight end Brock Bowers — for Williams. The team has Braxton Jones and 2023 No. 10 overall pick Darnell Wright at tackle. Fashanu grades 15th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board.
Hours away from Williams starting this draft, here is the latest:
- Confirming a previous view around the league, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones indicates teams wanting Bowers will need to hold a top-10 pick. By far the top tight end in this class, the Georgia product appears unlikely to make it past the Jets at No. 10. The Chargers (No. 5), Bears (No. 9) and Jets met with the three-year Bulldogs receiving leader. The Giants not going quarterback in Round 1 would seemingly point them to a wideout, but Darren Waller‘s retirement call is not believed to have emerged. Sitting at 15, the Colts are also believed to be interested in Bowers.
- JC Latham sits 18th on Jeremiah’s big board, but the Alabama tackle may go off the board much earlier. He could be in play for the Chargers at No. 5, with ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan offering that the draft’s run on tackles may begin with the ex-Crimson Tide RT. This would be a surprise, given Joe Alt‘s pedigree (and the Chargers’ reported interest in the two-time All-American). But many teams see Alt as a left tackle. Clubs regularly make switches up front, but if the Bolts — also believed to be Latham fans, potentially in a trade-down scenario — view the two blockers’ values as close, the player with right-side experience could win out. Latham started the past two seasons for Alabama at right tackle. A Chargers first-round tackle investment would be to replace Trey Pipkins, not Rashawn Slater, potentially strengthening Latham’s case for a rookie contract in the No. 5 slot.
- Mentioned as a team that scheduled a visit with Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy, the Seahawks did not end up hosting the high-end prospect, per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. Murphy falling to 16 may now be unlikely, with rumors he could — as this DT class is not viewed as deep — land inside the top 10 circulating. The Seahawks did visit with Murphy Longhorns DT mate T’Vondre Sweat, per Henderson, who adds the team would have considered Jalen Carter at No. 20 last year but not with their top choice (No. 5). The then-Pete Carroll-led team, which was split on Carter before the 2023 draft, chose Devon Witherspoon. Carter went 10th to the Eagles.
- In play to become the fourth receiver drafted this year, LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. may instead see some injury concerns lead to a slight drop. NFL medical staffs have flagged Thomas’ shoulders, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who notes the Tigers’ No. 2 wideout last year may need surgery on his left shoulder after his rookie year. Jeremiah rates Thomas as this class’ No. 4 wideout (17th overall) after an 1,177-yard, 17-touchdown 2023 showing. LSU is still expected to see he and Malik Nabers become first-rounders tonight.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Eagles, Harris
After seeing their 2022 receiver plan implode, the Giants made a number of moves to address the position this offseason. They added outside free agents Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder (since cut) while re-signing Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard. Both Shepard and 2022 second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson made their way back from ACL tears this year. Big Blue, which retained Isaiah Hodgins via ERFA tender, also drafted Jalin Hyatt in Round 3. But trade pickup Darren Waller stands as the team’s most proven pass catcher. As the Giants have looked like one of the NFL’s worst teams, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes they came into this season viewing their receiver situation as unsettled to the point they hoped Waller and Saquon Barkley could cover it up early in the campaign.
Injuries along the offensive line — after a woeful debut with a mostly healthy offense in Week 1 — have helped sink the Giants to 1-4. Daniel Jones is out for Week 6, and the starter has struggled, leaving any receiver upgrades as largely irrelevant to start the season. The Giants do not have notable cash committed to wideouts beyond this season, being able to escape Slayton’s two-year, $12MM deal fairly easily. The Giants, who rank 32nd in total offense, have only seen one of their wideouts — Slayton — eclipse 110 receiving yards this season. It appears clear rebuilding this group will end up a multiyear project for GM Joe Schoen.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- The Commanders‘ defense ranks 31st in points allowed through five games. Although it is early, that is a steep drop-off from its 2022 finish (seventh). The team allowed 40 points to the previously winless Bears, and its narrow wins over the struggling Cardinals and Broncos do not look especially good. That said, the team’s new ownership has not applied early-season pressure on Ron Rivera, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Josh Harris is being patient with Rivera and Co., and while Anderson adds some of the others in Washington’s ownership group do not necessarily share this stance, Dan Snyder‘s successor is allowing this to play out for now. Rivera confirmed (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) no staff changes are taking place.
- Nicholas Morrow has played well in relief of Nakobe Dean, grading as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 overall linebacker. The former Raiders and Bears starter has tallied 33 tackles and three sacks. But a backup job may be in the cards once Dean is activated from IR. The Eagles should be considered likelier to reinstall Dean as a starter over returning the 2022 third-round pick to a backup role, AllPhly.com’s Zach Berman notes. Dean suffered a foot injury in Week 1, but the Eagles let Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards walk this offseason with the intent on bumping the 2021 Butkus award winner into the starting lineup. Zach Cunningham, who signed with the Eagles during training camp, resides as the team’s other ILB starter.
- Dean’s former Georgia teammate, Jalen Carter is not yet a starter. But the No. 9 overall pick has validated the Eagles’ decision to stop his first-round slide, having totaled 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles through five games. PFF’s top-graded interior D-lineman, Carter slipped in the draft due to off-field matters. Most notably, the standout D-tackle’s arrest warrant for reckless driving and racing — at a scene in which two Georgia program members died in a car accident — led to a few teams passing in Round 1. The Eagles had Carter as the highest-rated player on their board, per ESPN’s Tim McManus, though the NFC champions were not certain he would fall far enough. The Seahawks were high on Carter’s talent but did not feel they had the leadership necessary to make the pick at No. 5, while McManus notes the Eagles felt their veterans and previous Georgia investments (Dean, Jordan Davis) would help keep Carter in line. We had heard about some Georgia coaches passing on endorsing Carter, citing effort and attitude, and McManus notes the DT punching then-teammate Quay Walker in 2020 contributed to this.
Rookie DT Jalen Carter Faces Further Civil Charges Stemming From Fatal Crash
Despite his criminal proceedings wrapping up in a plea agreement back in March, Eagles rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter still faced a civil lawsuit stemming from a car crash that resulted in the death of teammate Devin Willock and a Georgia recruiting analyst, Chandler LeCroy. That original lawsuit was filed by Devin Willock Sr., the father of one of the deceased, but he now faces further civil charges being filed by another former recruiting analyst, Victoria S. Bowles, who was injured in the accident. 
Willock’s original lawsuit for $40MM, targeted Carter specifically for $10MM. The suit noted two other occasions during which Carter received citations or tickets. It had also been reported that Carter’s driver license was suspended at the time of the accident. Carter had received misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing, paid a $1,013 fine, and is currently serving 12 months of probation, a fairly light sentence that seemed to indicate a lack of responsibility.
Bowles’s lawsuit levies a more severe allegation. According to Alan Judd of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bowles alleges that “Carter illegally left the scene without rendering aid to those injured in the crash.” The lawsuit says that Carter “was jointly responsible for the crash and had a legal duty to remain on the scene.” It details that, “instead, in part obviously fearful of bad publicity and the effect on his NFL draft status, he hoped not to be questioned or take any responsibility for his actions.”
It’s unclear what specifically is being sought from Carter in this suit, but Bowles is reportedly seeking reimbursement for over $170K-worth of medical bills as well as unreported amounts for future expenses, wage loss, mental and physical pain and suffering, and punitive damages. The lawsuit detailed the injuries sustained by Bowles in the crash as “broken vertebrae and ribs, a fractured clavicle, and broken and cracked teeth; lacerations to her kidney and liver; a punctured and collapsed lung; abdominal bleeding; neurological damage from a head injury that causes severe eye pain; and a spinal-cord injury that could progress to permanent paralysis.”
Whatever isn’t being sought from Carter, Bowles is suing the university’s athletic association for. Bowles’s complaint includes screenshots of texts from program officials permitting Bowles and LeCroy to take the recruiting SUVs used in the accident to their personal residences overnight. She asserts that the athletic association overlooked LeCroy’s “deplorable driving history and habitual operation of motor vehicles at high and unsafe speeds.”
Specifically, the lawsuits points to an incident in which the staffer who granted the two permission to take the vehicles home was a passenger as LeCroy received a ticket for driving 77 mph in a 55-mph zone, her fourth such violation in six years and the second that qualified for enhanced penalties due to Georgia’s “super speeder” law. For the same incident, a separate Georgia staffer “asked a court clerk to reduce the speed on the ticket” to avoid those enhanced penalties, a precedent that Bowles claims “gave LeCroy an understanding that the association would continue to intervene on her behalf in relation to future speeding violations, thus encouraging and facilitating her high-speed driving and reckless conduct.”
Carter’s initial reported involvement in the incident, combined with a poor showing at the school’s pro day, led to a number of teams taking Carter off their draft boards entirely. Eventually, the Eagles decided to trade up for him after an evaluation process which did not include extensive vetting of the crash. He has since signed his four-year rookie contract with the Eagles, which has a total value of $21.81MM.
Unlike the Willock-suit, the athletic association isn’t calling the claims “baseless,” but they are choosing to “strongly defend (their) position” by claiming that neither LeCroy nor Bowles “were on duty or acting within the scope of their employment in the hours leading up to the accident.” The initial response does not address the overlooking of LeCroy’s driving history.
Similar to the Willock-suit, Carter’s representation “did not immediately respond” to the lawsuit. It’s unclear whether Carter and his team will deploy the defensive tactics that the university has chosen to adopt or if he will be more cooperative. Regardless, the resolution of both lawsuits is something to keep an eye on as Carter begins his professional career.
Eagles’ Jalen Carter Named In Civil Lawsuit Related To Fatal Crash
Jalen Carter‘s involvement in a fatal car crash in January has been put to rest with respect to criminal proceedings via his plea agreement. The Eagles defensive tackle is now facing a new legal hurdle, however.
Carter has been named as a defendant in a $40MM civil suit filed by Devin Willock Sr., as detailed by Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports. Willock’s son, along with staffer Chandler LeCroy, were killed in an accident resulting from a racing incident following Georgia’s national championship victory. The lawsuit also names the school’s athletic association and LeCroy’s estate as defendants.
Of the $40MM total, Carter is individually being sued for $10MM, per Callie Lawson-Freeman of Yahoo! Sports. The latter figure, the suit states, represents what Willock believes his son would have earned in the NFL. Carter recently signed his four-year rookie contract with the Eagles, which has a total value of $21.8MM and includes the potential for a fifth-year option being exercised.
The fatal accident – which included Carter fleeing the scene and later being booked on misdemeanor charges – was a key talking point during the pre-draft process. An underwhelming pro day performance added to character concerns for the All-American, leading a number of teams to take him off their draft boards. Philadelphia (a team which has added several ex-Bulldogs in recent drafts) traded up one spot to select him, though, after an evaluation process which did not include extensive vetting of the crash.
Carter was driving with a suspended license at the time of the accident, ESPN’s Tim McManus notes. That did not factor into the charges (reckless driving and racing) which he faced, however, and his plea agreement prevents any further proceedings taking place stemming from the crash. The Willock suit notes two other occasions which Carter received citations or tickets for. In addition to facing 12 months of probation, paying a $1,000 fine and serving 80 hours of community service, the latter is required to complete a driving course.
A statement from Georgia’s athletic association calls the allegations “baseless,” and makes clear its intention of fighting them in court. Whether or not Carter looks to match that approach will be a key storyline to follow as this process unfolds.