Jalen Carter, the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive tackle, will miss Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers after undergoing a procedure on both shoulders. The 24-year-old has continued to battle shoulder issues this season, limiting his playmaking ability on the field.
Carter, the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has often played like he’s been in extreme pain. During that game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, he used a stinger. His performance in last Friday’s 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears highlighted these struggles, as he acknowledged, “there were some runs I got drove back or I wasn’t making no effect on the play.”
During his two-and-a-half seasons in the league, Carter has shown flashes of greatness. He has 107 tackles, 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and defended 12 passes. Problems with his shoulders have prevented him from ever being able to become a perennial high-level producer.
Fangio confirmed Carter’s injuries, saying, “He does have a shoulder problem.” After practice on Monday, the team determined that Carter was week-to-week as far as being ready to return to game action. This announcement immediately raises concerns about the Eagles’ defensive front seven. They’ll have to contend with the rest of this season’s matches without one of their most effective players.
Carter’s health has been a big question mark since the beginning of the season. If you do look closely, he missed the first three practices of training camp with shoulder injuries. Despite these challenges, he remains focused on his recovery, stating, “It’s my problems to deal with. I ain’t gonna tell everybody what I’m going through.”
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