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NEW ORLEANS -- There may be no player feared more in Super Bowl LIX than Jalen Carter.
The Philadelphia Eagles have many players who can take over a game, even a dominant one on the offensive side of the ball like Saquon Barkley. On defense, Carter is arguably the one who can deliver a Super Bowl championship to Philadelphia.
Carter is the player the Kansas City Chiefs have their eye on, the one who can change the game in the blink of an eye. Kansas City knows what it is up against on Sunday.
"He's a physical specimen," All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones said of Carter. "He's strong, physical. He's an unorthodox player. He can take over a game at any moment."
Carter has quickly become one of the best defensive tackles in the game, already earning an All-Pro selection in just his second season. Jones is the only defensive tackle in the league who compiled more pressures (85) than Carter (73, including postseason), as the young defensive tackle has 21 quarterback hits and 6.5 sacks in 19 games -- good for a 11.4% pressure rate.
Of course, Carter is typically double-teamed the majority of his snaps because of his ability to take over a game and never comes off the field. He's played 84% of the snaps this season, and over 90% on eight of 19 games. In two of the Eagles' playoff games, Carter played over 90% of the snaps, and it would have been three if Philadelphia wasn't blowing out Washington by the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game.
Perhaps that's the "unorthodox" player in Carter, but Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt prefers to call him "unique."
"He's a 325-pound man that moves like he's 260, 265," Hurts said of Carter. "His ability to bend, the change of direction. Slippery movement. You don't usually use a term like that with a guy that's 325 pounds. Those are abilities and traits that are simply God given. That's a credit to him."
The dominant, aggressive force on the field is anything but off the field. Carter is one of the friendliest players in the Eagles locker room, going out of his way to shake your hand if he knows you. The shy kid from Apopka, Florida is also one of the most polite individuals in the Eagles locker room, which just tells part of the story.
"I think he is a highly, highly intelligent young man -- on the field and off," Hurtt said. "He's quiet and shy. A lot of people don't understand that, doesn't really say a whole lot. But obviously once he gets to know you, he does."
On the field, Carter is different. Part of what makes him "unique."
"Unbelievable competitor. Loves game days. Physical, violent player. He's continuing to get better with his technique and fundamentals," Hurtt said. "I think his game is only gonna continue to ascend, but I just can't say enough to the level of how great a teammate he is. How unselfish he is.
"It's not just about him. He enjoys and loves his teammates. To me, those are the things that make him unique -- even more than the physical skills."
Carter could be the turning point in Super Bowl LIX. Last time these teams played for the Lombardi Trophy, he was a junior at Georgia preparing for the NFL Draft when Philadelphia lost to Kansas City two years ago.
He already saved the Eagles season once, having the third-down sack on Matthew Stafford against the Los Angeles Rams in the driving snow with 1:14 to play in a 28-22 game followed by a fourth-quarter quarterback hit that forced a Stafford incompletion and preserved an Eagles victory.
If Carter changes the game in the Eagles favor, it won't be surprising.
"He's more about power and drive. He's a dominance type of guy," Jones said. "His game is very similar to a Fletcher Cox, a young Fletcher Cox.
"I have so much respect for the young kid. I feel like if he keeps going, he can be a dominant force in this league."
