PHILADELPHIA – He’s going to line up against the Cowboys’ rookie guard, though, in Week 11, most so-called rookie taxes have been paid. It’s a chance Jalen Carter deprived himself of the last time the Eagles played Dallas, because, well, you remember the spitting incident that happened right after the opening kickoff that led to the defensive tackle’s ejection.
Carter has moved on from the incident. It happened nearly three months ago, after all, in that season opener on Sept. 4.
“Oh no, we're not worried about that,” he said. “We here where we are right now and at the end of the day, everybody plans, so that's all we’re worried about.”
Carter is worried about helping to contain quarterback Dak Prescott, so he can’t find a rhythm with the weapons that surround him in the passing game. That means the Eagles have to take the fight to the offensive line, and that is what they have done in wins over the Lions and Packers, offenses that are currently ranked fifth and 12th in the NFL. The Cowboys have the third-ranked offense.
Tyler Booke
Jul 26, 2025; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Booker (52) at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Carter will line up primarily against Tyler Booker, the rookie from Alabama who played with Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell at ’Bama and in high school at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
“He's learning more,” said Carter about Booker. “He's getting better at doing little things that o-Line need to do. I'm just saying that ’cause I'm gonna be going against most of the time.
“He’s gonna make rookie mistakes out there that probably get seen on film, but he’s got one of the best guards in the league (Tyler Smith) on the other side of him (so) he's probably learning from, so he's getting a little learning experience, especially with O-Line coaching and stuff like that. But you know, he's going to get better every day.”
Asked if he’s licking his chops to face a rookie, Carter sounded an ominous tone.
"No, it's more say…you like to see the fear come out of people,” he said. “So, we gonna see what goes on with that.”
Just as he has moved on from the spitting incident that tarnished the start of his third season, Carter has moved on from a litany of injuries that plagued him in training camp and for the first weeks of the season. Vic Fangio said a reason for the defense’s stellar work of late is due to the jump in Carter’s game because his condition is better, and the injuries haven’t been as limiting.
“Hey, whatever, Vic says is right," said Carter. "He's gonna keep it real with y'all. He keeps it 100. Yeah, I feel better, working on conditioning, and stuff like that is showing up."
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