Jaelan Phillips and Alec Pierce Ink Massive Deals in Free Agency

The contracts for the edge rusher and wide receiver could impact the Eagles' plans with star wideout A.J. Brown.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Carolina Panthers signed edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to a 4-year, $120 million contract, while the Indianapolis Colts gave wide receiver Alec Pierce a 4-year, $116 million deal. These massive free agent contracts could affect the Philadelphia Eagles' plans with their own star wide receiver, A.J. Brown, who they have been considering trading.

Why it matters

The huge paydays for Phillips and Pierce set a high bar for the free agent market, potentially making it more difficult for the Eagles to retain Brown or get fair trade value for him. The Eagles may now be able to more easily absorb the cap hit of trading Brown before June 1 if they choose to do so.

The details

The Panthers gave Phillips, a good but injury-prone player, $30 million per year on average, which is widely considered an overpay. Meanwhile, the Colts made Pierce, a one-dimensional deep threat, the highest-paid free agent wide receiver ever at $29 million per year. These deals could force the Eagles' hand on Brown, who they had previously rejected a trade offer for from the Patriots that included a 1st and 3rd round pick.

  • The free agent contracts for Phillips and Pierce were agreed to on the first day of the 2026 NFL legal tampering period.
  • The Eagles rejected a trade offer for A.J. Brown from the Patriots last week, before Pierce's contract was finalized.

The players

Jaelan Phillips

A 24-year-old edge rusher who was drafted in the 1st round by the Miami Dolphins in 2021. He has 28 sacks in 4 NFL seasons but has also missed 22 games due to injuries.

Alec Pierce

A 24-year-old wide receiver who was drafted in the 2nd round by the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. He has averaged 39 catches, 733 yards, and 4 touchdowns per season in his first 4 NFL years.

A.J. Brown

A 25-year-old star wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles who they are considering trading after rejecting a trade offer from the Patriots.

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What they’re saying

“Jaelan Phillips is a good guy and a good player, but there's no planet in God's wide universe on which Phillips is worth $120 million.”

— Marcus Hayes, Sports Columnist (inquirer.com)

“He now makes the same kind of money as edges like Maxx Crosby, who averages $35.5 million, and Nick Bosa, who averages $34 million. Through their first four seasons they had 52 and 47 1/2 sacks, respectively. Phillips has 28.”

— Marcus Hayes, Sports Columnist (inquirer.com)

What’s next

The Eagles will need to decide whether to trade A.J. Brown before June 1 to minimize the salary cap impact, or wait until after that date to potentially get a better trade package.

The takeaway

The massive free agent contracts signed by Jaelan Phillips and Alec Pierce have set a high bar for the 2026 NFL offseason, potentially complicating the Eagles' plans with star receiver A.J. Brown as they weigh their options to either keep him or trade him for the best value.