The 2025 season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles was one of the more dramatic and controversial in recent memory. And it all started before a play from scrimmage thanks to star defensive tackle Jalen Carter being ejected for spitting on Dak Prescott.
As the Eagles and Cowboys entered the playing field from the sidelines after the opening kickoff, Carter was quickly assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty and told to hit the showers. Incredibly, NBC replays showed that Carter had spit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Later on in the broadcast, a new angle was revealed showing Prescott spit on the ground in the general vicinity of Carter, but it was clear that the two spits paled in comparison to one another.
And on Friday morning’s edition of Get Up, ESPN analyst Ryan Clark did not mince words with how selfish, and how disgusting, the spit heard round the world truly was.
Ryan Clark goes in on Jalen Carter after spitting on Dak Prescott.
“Not only is it freaking disgusting, not only do you show what a low-level human you are in that moment, but you let the entire team down.” pic.twitter.com/ZaVFnwCpur
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 5, 2025
“But when Jalen Carter, who is one of the best players in the entire NFL, shows that lack of respect for the game, shows that lack of ability to make good decisions early on in the game, that is such a selfish play. Not only is it freaking disgusting, not only do you show what a low-level human you are in that moment, but you let the entire team down,” Clark said.
Clark went on to say that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni should make an example of Carter in front of the entire team.
“You can not do that. And if you’re Nick Sirianni, you have to make an example out of him. That’s one of those times that you walk in the meeting and you put the film on, and you know how you do it, Bill Belichick would do this. He’d put the film on, then he’d cut it off. And he’d only show Jalen Carter spitting on Dak Prescott. And you gotta cuss him out. You gotta tell him how big of a mistake this is. You gotta tell him how he let the entire team down. And if you continue to do this, you’ll never be the player you’re supposed to be and certainly not the man,” Clark added.
Carter is no stranger to controversy and questions about his character. He fell to the Eagles with the 9th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after a street racing incident he was involved in led to the death of a Georgia football player and staffer. The Eagles held on to beat the Cowboys 24-20, but it was clear the absence of the defending Super Bowl champions’ best defensive player for the entire game played a significant role.