EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m Ready to Kill the Cowboys!’ sensational ace

It took no time at all for the Dallas Cowboys’ division rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles to make an impression on top-10 pick Jalen Carter.

As the NFL offseason wrapped up, the Eagles rookie defensive tackle hosted a youth football camp in his hometown of Apopka, Florida, and provided an exclusive interview with EaglesToday.com at SI. The usually soft-spoken player issued a statement to Dallas – and indeed, to the rest of the NFL.

“I’m ready to kill the Cowboys,” Carter said then, offering his “threat” with a smile. “Everybody’s got beef. I might as well join the wave.”

Carter has indeed “joined the wave” of the Eagles’ excellence. He’s been one of the 7-1 team’s most impactful players, having been in on 20 tackles, with two forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks.

When we spoke to him in the summer, there seemed to be no rookie jitters from Carter as he confidently called out “America’s Team” … again, albeit with a smile.

And how he gets a head-to-head chance to back up his words in Sunday’s NFL Week 9 showdown at the 5-2 Cowboys are playing at Philly.

Carter’s preseason confidence may stem from Philadelphia’s success tallying sacks of the quarterback last season, as the Eagles became just the fourth team in NFL history to have 70 or more sacks in the regular season. At the same time, to the Cowboys’ credit, they surrendered the fourth-fewest sacks in the league in 2022.

This year? Philly ranks seventh in NFL sacks with 25. Meanwhile, the Cowboys offensive line has held up adequately despite injury and has allowed a middle-of-the-pack total of 18 sacks.

Carter was really just having fun with the “Dallas Week hate” that adds fuel to the NFC East rivalry. He also did credit Cowboys Nation for loyalty to the team. But during our visit with him over that weekend, we witnessed him refusing to sign any Dallas merchandise at his kids camp.

“That’s one thing I’ll give Cowboys’ fans: they’re loyal,” Carter said to us as he declined to sign a fan’s phone case featuring the iconic Dallas star.

How the Cowboys and Eagles games play out this season could be telling for the future of the historic rivalry. … not to mention telling for the future of this year’s playoffs. That one bye is precious and the Eagles have a good grip on that possibility. And Carter is helping them get there.

Coming in, many considered Carter to be the best defensive player in his draft class. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, even said he’ll “become the best defender in the NFL.” And now, against the archrival Cowboys, he gets to be on one of the largest stages in sports in an attempt to prove all of that.