Jalen Carter’s debut in the Eagles’ new season ended before he could even take the first defensive snap.
While Philadelphia trainers were tending to an injury after the opening kickoff, the star defensive lineman approached Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and spat on his chest.
Carter was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejected just six seconds into the game. Eagles chief security officer Dom “Big Dom” DiSandro escorted him off the field as NBC’s broadcast showed stunned reactions to the shocking start of the NFL season.
After the game, Carter told reporters that the incident would not happen again.
Jalen Carter seemingly spat on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, resulting in an ejection just six seconds into the season opener
“Whoa, whoa,” NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico exclaimed, later adding, “First of all, I have no idea what he’s thinking, and second, this is huge for the game.”
“He’s their top defensive player and was central to about 80 percent of what we were planning to discuss on this broadcast,” NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth explained. “To beat the Philadelphia Eagles, you have to double-team Jalen Carter. If you don’t, your offense can’t get going. Now remove that key defender, and it’s similar to losing Micah Parsons from the Cowboys — Carter’s absence has the same game-changing impact.”
Referee Shawn Smith told a pool reporter that an official saw Carter spit on Prescott, calling it a “disqualifiable foul” because it was a “non-football act.”
“I heard the refs talking,” Carter said when asked if he expected an ejection. “They said it was a toss-able offense, something like that. That’s when I knew.”
As the game was set to resume following a lightning delay, the broadcast showed Prescott seemingly spit in Carter’s general direction before the Eagles star spat on his chest.
Prescott also appeared to smile at Carter after the incident.
Jalen Carter exits the field following his ejection in the Eagles-Cowboys game on Sept. 4
After just two NFL seasons, Carter, the No. 9 overall pick in 2023, has already proven himself as one of the league’s top defenders, recording 4.5 sacks and 42 tackles while earning a Pro Bowl nod last year with the defending Super Bowl champions.
However, he will have to wait to make an impact in Vic Fangio’s defense in 2025.
The chaotic sequence began when Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren suffered a knee injury on the opening kickoff. As trainers attended to him on the field before he was eventually carted off, Carter approached a group of Dallas players and appeared to speak to Prescott.
Although it’s unclear what the two stars said to each other, Carter spat in Prescott’s direction, leading an official to throw a flag.
