The Eagles signed defensive tackle Tim Jernigan to a four-year contract extension through the 2021 season on Thursday.
"It's an honor to be a part of this organization and I want to thank Jeffrey Lurie, Coach Pederson and Howie Roseman for giving me the opportunity to continue my career here in Philadelphia," Jernigan said. "I love it here. We have a great group of guys and a great coaching staff. The fans are unbelievable. We have something special going right now and we need to keep building on it. I'm proud to be part of it."
Jernigan came to the Eagles this offseason via trade from the Baltimore Ravens.
"Since the day he entered the building, Tim has been a difference-maker both on the field and around the building," the team said in a statement. "He's a tough, physical, and relentless player who brings energy and enthusiasm every day. Tim possesses a lot of the qualities that we look for as we continue to build this team and we are excited about his future here in Philadelphia."
Jernigan recorded a sack in his Eagles debut against Washington becoming the first defensive lineman on the team to accomplish the feat since Fletcher Cox in 2012. He and Cox have established themselves as a formidable duo up front, leading a defense that ranks first in fewest rushing yards allowed. Jernigan has 20 tackles, eight for loss, 1.5 sacks, and five QB hurries this season.
"For three years, he had been sort of a lateral, at-the-line-of-scrimmage-type player, and he just fit what we wanted him to do, and he stuck with it. We stuck with him," said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. "He's hard to handle now, and a lot of it's because of him attacking. He's an explosive player. He's disruptive. He plays with a lot of energy. The players feed off of him, also."
The 6-2, 295-pound Jernigan was in the final season of his four-year rookie deal. The former second-round pick out of Florida State spent the first three years of his career in Baltimore where he had at least four sacks each season.
At Florida State, he helped the Seminoles win the BCS National Championship and was a second-team All-America as a junior in that 2013 season.
