Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis was all smiles on Wednesday in his custom tan suit as the team held a news conference in the wake of his three-year contract extension. Davis, 26, is always a happy-go-lucky guy. And signing a $78 million contract extension with $65 million guaranteed certa inly didn’t change that. While Davis didn’t want to get into what led to his contract extension late last week that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2029 — he said that’s a question for his agent — he is obviously thrilled that it got done. The Eagles were going to have Davis on the roster in 2026 on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract but now they have the former first-round pick on a long-term deal. And the Eagles are hoping he’s able to keep progressing. Here are five big takeaways from Wednesday’s news conference at the Jefferson Health Training Complex: 1. The next step The Eagles used the No. 13 overall pick to select Davis out of Georgia back in 2022 and his career got off to a slow start. But he had somewhat of a breakout season in 2025 to earn this extension. But that needs to be the beginning. Because this extension pays Davis $26 million per season, making him one of the highest paid defensive tackles in the NFL. So, sure, he’s proud to be here, but not ready to rest. “That’s something that I don’t really stop to think about because you’re still in the midst of it all,” Davis said. “Fletch (former Eagles DT Fletcher Cox) told me that they are keeping you for not what you’ve done, but for what you can do, what you are expected to do.  “Although I do have times or a moment of reflection, those times are very short. I know that it’s more work at hand to do. You can never be comfortable. You can’t be comfortable, not in this league, not in this world. You always have to be striving for something greater. And that’s where I’m at right now.” Beginning during the 2024 season, Davis started to slim down and get in better shape, which really paid off on the field. In 2025, he played a career-high 686 snaps (61%) and had a career-high 4 1/2 sacks and 6 QB hits. Davis is obviously known as a run-stuffer — and he’s one of the best — but in order for this contract to be worth it, he needs to continue his growth as a pass-rusher. “I have so much room to improve,” Davis said. “I have so much to grow as a player. I just want to be great by the time it’s done, when it’s all over and done with. I want to be able to lead. I want to be able to leave my legacy. I want to be able to just be satisfied with the player that I am. While I’m in the league, I’ll never be satisfied because it’s always another place you can reach. When it’s all over and done with, take my cleats off for the final time, I wanted to leave something that I’m proud with.” 2. A moment of reflection As he stepped up on the stage Wednesday afternoon, Davis began his press conference by thanking a bunch of folks who helped him get there and acknowledging that he wouldn’t be able to name everyone. It takes a village, Davis said. During the course of NFL careers there aren’t often chances for reflection. But signing a near-top-of-the-market deal is one of them. And for Davis, it comes after a slower start to his career. There’s a lesson in that about patience. “When I first got here, I was talking with Brandon Graham,” Davis said. “And we all know BG. We all love BG. It’s just the example that he showed, the grit, the determination. I remember he said to me, ‘If you come in here and you work hard and you show that you care and work to improve, then the city will love you.’  “That was just something that stuck with me. It resonated with me because one, BG been here for years. He understands the ins and outs of the city. He understands the ins and outs of this building, the game. And, two, it just told me about the type of people that’s in Philadelphia. Hardworking. When you show that you want to take initiative, that you at least are trying to get better, they’ll be there to root for you.” 3. A true leader The Eagles voted for eight team captains in 2025 and Davis was not one of them. But it didn’t stop him from leading. Since Cox’s retirement after the 2023 season, Davis has been the leader in that defensive tackle room and it’s something he wants to eventually be a part of his legacy. “Definitely,” Davis said. “And like I said last year, you can be a leader in many different ways. You don’t have to have a ‘C’ on your chest to be a leader. And my idea of leadership is just doing the right thing, doing right by people and putting in the effort. You don’t ever want to tell somebody to do something that you wouldn’t do.” The Eagles had two captains on the defensive side of the ball last season in Zack Baun and Reed Blankenship. While Baun will return for his third season with the Eagles in 2026, Blankenship is leaving in free agency to join the Texans. It seems very possible that ‘C’ will go to Davis in 2026. 4. Jalen Carter up next In addition to reporters and some of Davis’s family members, there were a few notable spectators in the back of the auditorium for the press conference on Wednesday. One of them was Jalen Carter. Davis said it was a surprise that Carter was there on Wednesday and he said seeing him in the building “brightened” his day. Davis and Carter have been friends and teammates dating back to their days together at the University of Georgia. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Davis said. “It just shows the importance of just the connection and the love that we have for each other.” And Carter better have been taking notes in the back of the room. Because he’s up next. Carter, the No. 9 pick of the 2023 NFL draft, is eligible for a contract extension this offseason after playing out the first three years of his rookie contract. The Eagles have reportedly been working toward that next deal. Over the next few seasons, Eagles GM Howie Roseman has a lot of work to do to sign some of the team’s defensive stars to long-term contracts. Davis on Wednesday said it’s “extremely” important for the Eagles to keep their core together. “Chemistry is something that can’t be taught,” Davis said. “It can only be bonded through work, through the time that y’all spend together. I’m sure y’all hear that over the course of the years from me, from Coach Nick (Sirianni) and stuff like that. But the connection is truly strong. And when you have a connection with somebody, of course we want to keep everybody we can.”  5. ‘Two on me, somebody’s free’ With his new contract, Davis is tied with his former teammate Milton Williams as the second-highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind just Chris Jones, who is the only DT currently over $30 million per season. But Davis is now the highest-paid nose tackle. He takes a lot of pride in playing that position because of the selfless nature it takes to be great at it. “A big passion of mine is just being a premier nose guard,” Davis said. “And I know that’s a position that’s overlooked a lot of times from the casual fan. Not a lot of people know the importance of a true nose tackle, especially when we have the ability in our system to flip from a 3 -4 to 4 -3. Nose guard is a position that doesn’t really get accolades or get a lot of premium for it because it’s a muddy position sometimes. You’re going to get two hands on you in a run, sometimes in the pass. “So to be able to go out here and to prove to kids and to show people that nose guards aren’t meant to be overlooked. We have a true place in defenses. I think that’s one thing that makes me really proud to be a nose guard. Technically I’m a DT/nose guard, but I’ve been doing it since college. I’ve been doing it since high school if we’re being real. So to be able to lead the way and pave away for a different kind of attention on this position, I think that’s the biggest pride that I have. Playing this position, I always came in saying, ‘two on me, somebody’s free.’ And that’s the way it’s always going to be. That’s the mantra of a nose guard, to be real.” ...read more read less