‘Consistently Underrated’ $98 Million Eagles Star Poised for Breakout Season

Did the Philadelphia Eagles get the biggest steal of the 2026 offseason by trading for Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard?

NFL.com’s Nick Shook thinks the Eagles did just that, and put Greenard at the top of his list of “potential risers” in 2026 after he signed a 4-year, $98 million contract extension.

“Greenard’s inclusion might seem misplaced to those who already understand how good he is,” Shook wrote. “At 29 years old, how much better can he get? Well, after Greenard posted just three sacks in an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, Minnesota sent him packing for Philadelphia, where the Eagles were happy to welcome one of the most consistently underrated edge rushers in the NFL … he joins a front that includes Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, and he will rush opposite the incredibly athletic Nolan Smith. He’s playing for defensive mastermind Vic Fangio. All of the ingredients are there for Greenard to produce a remarkable rebound season in a defense that saw Jaelan Phillips make a difference as a midseason acquisition and eventually cash in on a nine-figure deal with the Panthers. With all due respect to Phillips, Greenard is an upgrade. You’ll see why this season.”

Vikings Slammed for Trading Jonathan Greenard

No team in the NFL has specialized in giving away great players the last few years more than the Vikings, and the teams they deal with seem to have a knack for winning Super Bowls.

The Vikings famously let Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold leave in free agency following the 2024 season and watched as he led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win in 2025.

This year, the Vikings traded their best edge rusher, Jonathan Greenard, to the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the Super Bowl in 2024, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell called it 1 of the NFL’s worst deals of the 2026 offseason.

The Eagles gave up a pair of 3rd-round picks for Greenard, then immediately signed him to a new deal.

“With Greenard wanting a new contract, a trade made sense,” Barnwell wrote. “However, defensive tackles like Quinnen Williams and Dexter Lawrence landed first-round picks in deals, and edge rusher Maxx Crosby (briefly) netted the Raiders two first-rounders. Did the Vikings really do themselves any favors by waiting until late April to deal Greenard? They landed only a pair of third-round picks from the Eagles. One of those picks was the 98th selection in this year’s draft, and it would be a surprise if the 2027 third-rounder landed anywhere before No. 90. Two late third-round picks isn’t a ton for a player as explosive as Greenard, who was still blowing by people on tape at less than 100 percent a year ago.”

Jonathan Greenard Signed Team-Friendly Contract

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman remains at the top of his game right now, and the contract he signed Greenard to seems to only speak to that genius.

Spotrac founder Michael Ginnitti recently laid out the details of Greenard’s 4-year, $98 million contract extension signed on April 24, and it’s truly something to behold.

“DE Jonathan Greenard’s Eagles Extension: 4-years, $98M base value, $50M fully guaranteed, Annual $500k escalator 4 void years for cap, 2-years, $50M practical (contract),” Ginnitti wrote on his official X account. “Cap Hits, 2026: $6.2M, 2027: $11.1M, 2028: $15.7M, 2029: $20.2M, 2030: $44.4M (void).”

Roseman solving Philadelphia’s central problem on defense by giving up the pair of 3rd round picks to get Greenard only adds to the lore. That he did it while avoiding a salary cap disaster — now or in the future — is just the icing on the cake.

Greenard had consecutive seasons with at least 12.0 sacks in 2023 and 2024, but saw those numbers dip in 2025 as he played through a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery.

The Eagles traded for Greenard to fill the void left by Jaelan Phillips, who left for a 4-year, $120 million free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers — the largest free-agent contract for a non-skill player in NFL history.

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