Following the acquisition of former Vikings pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, the Philadelphia Eagles extended the 28 year old on a lucrative 4 year, $100M deal.
Greenard, along with a 2026 7th round selection, was acquired by Philadelphia on Day 2 of the NFL Draft in exchange for a 2026 3rd and 2027 3rd round pick. He fills an immediate need on the Eagles defensive unit following the departure of EDGE rusher Jaelan Phillips who left via free agency.
The new deal will reportedly feature $50M in guaranteed money, and brings an end to what’s reportedly been several weeks worth of back and forth between the two clubs.
“What you see is a relentless player with physical tools. He can win in multiple ways. He is hard to block,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “I know when we play Minnesota, we are worried about where he is at all times.”
“We just felt like we had a really good D-line, but we really wanted to elevate it to another level.”
Greenard will now join a pass rush group that also features Nolan Smith Jr., Jalyx Hunt, and Arnold Ebiketie. The Birds defence will also lean on defensive tackles Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis, as well as defensive end Moro Ojomo to help get after the opposing team’s quarterback.
The former Florida Gator had a down year in 2025, suiting up for just 12 games which resulted in step backwards in terms of production. But prior to that, he recorded 12.5 and 12 sacks in 2023 & 2024 respectively. As a result, he was named to the Pro Bowl two years ago, and finished 11th in defensive player of the year voting.
Greenard will be coming off surgery on his shoulder, which should help get him back to his pre-injury form. Despite not registering a high sack total in 2025, his 13.5% pressure rate ranked 7th best in the NFL last season amongst qualified candidates.
On Minnesota’s end, the trade likely frees up additional snaps for 2024 first round pick Dallas Turner, while rookie Jake Golday (taken 51st overall) should see some rotational reps behind outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. The deal also frees up roughly $12.25M in cap space for Minnesota.
Both teams will look to wrap up their draft this weekend as rounds 4-7 kick off on Saturday at 12pm ET.
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