Jalen Carter’s spitting incident in Thursday night’s season opener may cost him more than an ejection.
Before the first play from scrimmage in the Philadelphia Eagles’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, the 24-year-old Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting at quarterback Dak Prescott:
Losing the best player on their defense was tough enough for Philly, especially with the Cowboys gashing them in the ground game. But Nick Sirianni and company better prepare for the possibility of losing Carter beyond Week 1.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, there’s a possibility that Jalen Carter will be suspended for spitting on Prescott. Florio cited the NFL’s emphasis on promoting better sportsmanship in 2025:
“One factor will be, we’re told, the manner in which Carter handles the situation after the game. If he’s anything other than fully contrite, the league may decide to send a message stronger than the de facto one-game suspension Carter received by being sent to the showers without playing a single play.
As one source pointed out to PFT, the most talked-about topic of the offseason with clubs and players was “respect for the opponent.” For Carter to display the ultimate disrespect to an opponent before the first game of the season has even really begun, the league may decide that something more than an ejection is needed to send the right message to Carter — and to the rest of the league.”
Since Carter isn’t a repeat offender in the NFL (he hasn’t been suspended before), there’s a good chance he’ll walk away with a fine and no suspension whatsoever.
Over his first two NFL seasons, Carter has tallied 10.5 sacks, six pass breakups and four forced fumbles. In Philly’s Super Bowl 59 journey, Carter had two sacks and three pass breakups in four playoff games.
