The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys kicked off the 2025 NFL season on Thursday night, and the first game resulted in defensive lineman Jalen Carter being ejected before the first snap of the game. Following the opening kickoff, as the two teams huddled up, Carter was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for walking up and spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. That resulted in a 15-yard penalty and Carter being ejected from the game.
The Cowboys would then drive down the field and score a touchdown on the first possession, going 53 yards on six plays, with a 32-yard catch by CeeDee Lamb and a one-yard touchdown run by new tailback Javonte Williams. The Eagles have since tied the game.
Here is Jalen Carter spitting on Dak Prescott: pic.twitter.com/4F5BjEDLHf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2025
Carter came in at No. 43 in the NFL's Top 100 of 2025.
"He's a freaking ball player," New Orleans Saints two-time Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy said of Carter. "This kid is freaking good. I think he's super explosive. Super powerful, which isn't something that you would necessarily expect out of his frame. Yeah, he -- he's physical. He's a great pass rusher. And he's very good against the run.
Watching his tape beforehand, I was like, damn, this guy can play."
Carter took a major step forward in his second season as he started 19 of the Eagles' games last season and earned Pro Bowl status after recording 51 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. Carter was a key part of the Eagles' defensive line that tormented Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX in February. By game's end, Mahomes had been sacked six times and hit 11 times in a game that the Eagles won 40-22.
In 2023, Carter played in 16 games as a rookie, making one start, and finishing with 33 tackles, 20 solo stops, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery, earning PFWA NFL All-Rookie Honors.
Injuries limited Carter during Georgia's 2022 season and even forced him to miss two games. Despite being hobbled, the junior certainly made the most of his time on the field, making 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass breakups, and tying for the team lead with 31 quarterback hurries. He forced two fumbles — both against then-No. 1 Tennessee. He was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, FWAA, Walter Camp, and Sporting News. The Eagles took Carter with the No. 9 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.