The Philadelphia Eagles kicked off the defence of their Super Bowl crown with a weather-delayed 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were downed by a trio of first-half rushing touchdowns, with a pair coming from quarterback, Jalen Hurts, and another from star running back, Saquon Barkley, but the opening night of the new NFL season will be remembered for a shocking incident before the first snap had even been played.
Jalen Carter, the ninth pick in the 2023 NFL draft, is widely considered the Eagles’ defensive star, but he was ejected just SIX SECONDS into the contest for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The officials acted immediately, leaving the packed stadium and millions of fans at home in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.
The shock was summed up by ESPN analyst, Stephen A. Smith, on X as he wrote: “WTH did I just see? Jalen Carter — the Best Players on the @Eagles defense — just got thrown out the game before a freakin snap for SPITTING….SPITTING on @dak. To hell with just an ejection. Suspend that man. How in the HELL could you do something like that? Inexcusable! Stupid! Selfish! #Damn!”
Eagles legend, Jason Kelce, was equally lost for words, although his words were a lot shorter than Stephen A’s: “What in the f*** just happened?”
At first, it appeared to be an inexplicable moment of madness, but replays quickly revealed a major twist.
What Happened Seconds Before Carter's Spit
Just before the incident, Prescott spat towards the ground close to the Eagles’ defensive huddle as fullback Ben VanSumeren was being treated for an injury during the kickoff. Carter claimed he took offence to what he felt was a “hostile” act while his teammate was down and reacted by spitting himself, directly onto Prescott’s chest. The Dallas quarterback insisted afterwards: “I probably spit about 1,000 times throughout the game, especially gameday, maybe general. I guess I needed to spit, and I wasn't going to spit on my linemen. I just spit ahead, and he goes 'You're trying to spit on me?’”
The contest then took another twist as a lightning storm forced a 65-minute delay midway through the third quarter.
After the game had concluded, Carter attempted to draw a line under the drama, offering an apology for his actions: “You know, it was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won't happen again. I feel bad for my teammates and the fans out there. You know, I'm doing it for them. I'm doing it for my family also, but the fans, they show the most love. You heard them out there.”
Jalen Carter's Controversial Past
Jalen Carter
For all his talent on the field, Carter’s name has never been far from controversy. In January 2023, while still at Georgia, he was involved in a fatal car crash that claimed the lives of staff member, Chandler LeCroy, and teammate, Devin Willock, after drag racing with LeCroy’s vehicle. He later pleaded no contest to reckless driving and street racing, receiving 12 months of probation, a fine, and community service. It didn’t put the Eagles off drafting him two years ago, however, and they were rewarded as he delivered a breakout season in 2024, helping Philadelphia lift the Lombardi Trophy.
Being thrown out before the first snap of a season for spitting on an opponent is an incident that will be remembered for years, and it risks overshadowing Philadelphia’s opening-night victory. The league must now decide whether further punishment is warranted for either Carter or Prescott, though, there is a past example to look at.
Back in 2020, former Baltimore Ravens defensive back, Marcus Peters, was fined for spitting on Cleveland Browns wide receiver, Jarvis Landry, but was not suspended. Whether the NFL chooses to follow that path or make a harsher statement this time will be one of the early storylines that defines the 2025 season.