Carter is Questionable for Week 2, and Philadelphia's defensive front keeps getting thinner

Jalen Carter is listed Questionable heading into Week 2, which puts the Eagles in an uncomfortable spot with their highest-paid defender. The four-year, $152 million extension Philadelphia gave Carter this offseason was built on the assumption he'd be an every-down force up front. Playing through a wrist injury doesn't erase that, but it does complicate it.

The timing is rough. Jonathan Greenard, the other major investment in this defensive line, is already out with a pec strain and wasn't available for the opener either. That's two of the Eagles' most significant defensive commitments compromised before the season has barely started. The front behind Carter — Byron Young, Jalyx Hunt, and a rotation that hasn't been tested at this level — will need to carry more of the load if Carter is limited or his snap count gets managed.

Philadelphia's defense still has real anchors. Zack Baun is healthy and Quinyon Mitchell is back to Active after his own injury scare. But the interior pressure that Carter generates when he's right is something this group can't easily replicate from depth. A banged-up Carter playing through a wrist issue is still a problem for opposing offenses — the question is how much of a problem, and for how long.