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3 Eagles cut candidates entering 2026 offseason

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Matty Breisch, ClutchPoints | Last updated Feb 7, 2026 1:30 AM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles have some choices to make before the start of the 2026 NFL calander year.

They’ve lost some coaches, have players who could either demand a trade or opt to retire, and have over a dozen players who could hit the open market in free agency if Howie Roseman doesn’t re-sign them first.

And yet, while there are plenty of moves the Eagles will make over the next few months before the NFL Draft opens up across the state in Pittsburgh, there are a few players on the roster now who may not be when the regular season opens up this fall.

Could the Eagles move on from a long-time fan favorite turned enemy of the City of Brotherly Love? Or release a player on a contract that is far richer than their contributions demand? Needless to say, the offseason could bring plenty of changes to South Philadelphia before the snow melts at the NovaCare Center.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Michael Carter II

If there’s one member of the Eagles roster who won’t be back on the team in 2026 on his current contract, it’s Michael Carter II.

Acquired from the New York Jets before the 2025 trade deadline, Carter II agreed to give up his $5 million injury guarantee in order to join the Birds and now has just $1.384 million in guaranteed money on the books versus a cap hit of $10.12 million, according to Over The Cap.

While $10 million isn’t an unacceptable figure for a top-tier slot cornerback, which Carter II was when he signed the deal with the Jets, he played just 106 defensive snaps over eight games for the Eagles last season, which doesn’t exactly add up to such a lofty financial commitment.

Carter II, coming off a down season with an extensive injury history, likely won’t be back in high demand on the open market. He could draw interest from his former coach, Robert Saleh, with the Tennessee Titans, sure, but if he decides Philadelphia is where he wants to be, the two sides could ultimately agree on an amended deal to keep him around as a hybrid cornerback/safety option, even if any continuity on his current deal is incredibly hard to imagine.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Jake Elliott

If Carter II is the player fans should least expect to be back on his current contract, Jake Elliott is the one they may least like to see back after some serious struggles down the stretch last fall.

One of the longest tenured players on the Eagles roster, initially joining the team in 2017 after being waived by the Cincinnati Bengals as a drafted rookie, Elliott has had incredible highs for Philadelphia over the years, from Super Bowl PATs to game-winners like his signature 63-yard walkoff boot against the New York Giants. In 2025, however, things were more down for Elliott than in any of his professional seasons prior, to the point where Nick Sirianni abandoned the kicking game in multiple contests, and fans openly stumped for a midseason kicking contest to save the season.

Unfortunately, the season could not be saved, as the Eagles came up short to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round with no major thanks from Elliott, but when the summer opens up, and players report, the expectations are that there will be more than just the Memphis product in town to see who will lead Michael Clay’s unit in 2026.

Holding the 15th-highest cap hit of any player on the roster at $5.521 million, Elliott will not be the easiest player to get rid of if the Eagles want to, as he still has $13 million in guaranteed money on his contract, according to Over The Cap. And yet, even if the Eagles have to eat some dead money, they can’t afford to risk losses over some missed field goals, so Elliott could be gone if the right challenger comes along.

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Sydney Brown

And last but not least, if the Eagles are looking to move on from players simply because they haven’t lived up to expectations, Sydney Brown could be on that list.

Initially drafted on Day 2 to be a do-it-all deep safety capable of covering sideline to sideline and delivering the boom in the box, Brown has become infamous for hurting his teammates as often as he takes out ball handlers, leaving Andrew Mukuba on IR to this day as he recovers from a fractured ankle.

On special teams, Brown has the athletic profile to form an elite gunner tandem with Kelee Ringo, but even there, he has developed a reputation for picking up unnecessary penalties when the Eagles can least afford them.

With one year left on his rookie contract, the Eagles have no real incentive to release Brown if they don’t want to. Roseman can keep him around as a special teamer capable of leading Michael Clay’s unit in snaps if he so chooses, but if the Eagles are wise, they will add enough talent to the secondary that Brown is simply no longer needed, allowing a draftee, udfa, or even young veteran with more defensive upside to hold down the spot instead of investing more time on a player who might be better served in another system.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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