The Chicago Bears made two trades in 2023, one before the NFL draft and one during it, that dropped the team from No. 1 to No. 9 and ultimately to No. 10 — a process that allowed defensive tackle Jalen Carter to land with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But now in need of some juice on the defensive line, Chicago could get back in the game for Carter inside the coming year.
Speculation continues to swirl around Carter as a potential trade chip, either ahead of the mid-season deadline in early November or next offseason, based on how the Eagles are handling the option to extend him. Another factor is Tennessee Titans star Jeffrey Simmons recently resetting the market for the DT position with the three-year, $106 million contract he inked on Friday, June 19, which likely just rendered Carter more expensive.
“Philadelphia is telling you what you need to know with its actions. The Eagles have always been aggressive paying their own, in large part because they know that the earlier you do the deal, the better the price you’ll get,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote. “So the fact that we’re into June without Jalen Carter having a deal is notable.”
Some of the projected trade returns from potential suitors like the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are exceedingly high and include multiple first-round picks, though Chicago could be in position to make a strong offer if/when Carter becomes available.
Jalen Carter’s Trade Cost, Contract Price Both Likely to Prove Considerable
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Myles Garrett went to the Los Angeles Rams in a deal earlier this offseason in exchange for defensive end Jared Verse, as well as first-, second- and third-round picks. Carter is younger than Garrett and plays a less premium position. Still, he’s likely to command at least a first-round selection in a loaded 2027 class, plus another strong draft asset in 2028.
The Bears own all their draft picks over the next two years, so making a move for Carter would boil down to how they value a 25-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle in his prime against their positional needs at that point, as well as what incoming rookies they might be able to legitimately acquire in Round 1.
Cost will also be a factor, as a mid-to-late first-round pick (Chicago’s likely draft range in 2027) will play on a four-year, cost-controlled contract that includes a fifth-year team option.
Meanwhile, Carter is on the cusp of the final season of his four-year, $21 million rookie deal. Philadelphia has already exercised its fifth-year option on Carter, which will pay him $27.1 million in 2027 alone. Spotrac projects his market value at north of $30 million annually on a new four-year agreement ($121 million total).
Bears Can Clear Meaningful Money, Starting DT Spot by Releasing Grady Jarrett Next Offseason
GettyDefensive tackle Grady Jarrett of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago should be able to afford signing a player like Carter to a salary on that scale, as the team will be able to get off the final year of DT Grady Jarrett’s $43 million contract as well as the final season of defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo’s $48 million deal next offseason, should it so choose.
Neither player was really cuttable this offseason because of how the Bears structured their agreements. That said, the Bears could save a total of $28.5 million against the 2027 salary cap by releasing both Odeyingbo and Jarrett next spring.
One might argue that Chicago is already in need of another pass-rusher on the outside, though as more time passes, the clearer it becomes that Bears brass is comfortable heading into 2026 with Montez Sweat on one edge of the defense and third-year pro Austin Booker lining up on the other.
Carter could offer pass-rush aid up the middle, while the depth of talent in the 2027 draft should put the Bears in position to select a meaningful edge-rusher in Round 2, regardless of where that pick falls. The team also has second-year player Shemar Turner to consider, a second-round pick in 2025 that Chicago will kick out to defensive end on a permanent basis this season.
Injury robbed Turner of all but 75 snaps during his rookie campaign. But if he and Booker both make jumps in 2026, and the Bears cut ties with Odeyingbo and Jarrett — the latter move opening up a starting spot at defensive tackle — then Chicago would profile as a sensible trade suitor for Carter next spring.
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