The 2025 NFL season is already off to a crazy start. Less than 10 seconds into the first game of the season between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, the home team and reigning Super Bowl champions lost one of their best defenders for the entire game in Jalen Carter.
However, what went down for the superstar defensive tackle to be called off the field almost immediately?
What Happened to Jalen Carter?
Right at the start of the new season, Philadelphia was hit with devastating news. As the Cowboys returned the ball to the 32-yard line, both teams were getting onto the field to get things started for the first offensive possession of the year.
However, coming onto the field, in an ugly display, Carter spat on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. The referee crew, led by veteran Shawn Smith, immediately caught the exchange. Assessing an unsporstmanlike conduct on Carter, he was suspended from the entire game.
Even as the commentary booth went into shock, subsequent replays showed what Carter had done, leading to the dismissal. The move from Carter could turn out to be very costly for the Eagles.
Every angle of Jalen Carter spitting on Dak Prescott pic.twitter.com/YY1Q6wVwXx
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) September 5, 2025
On a defense that lost a ton of personnel, he was expected to lead the pack for a unit that was among the best in the entire league. Carter graded out with an 86.7 (B) grade during the 2024 season in PFSN’s Defensive Tackle Impact metric.
That ranked 5th among all interior defensive linemen. It doesn’t include the playoff run in which Carter recorded two sacks and three passes defended during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run.
With Milton Williams departing in the offseason, a once-deep Eagles defensive tackle room is suddenly very thin in the interim. The top defensive tackle is run stuffer Jordan Davis, whose 67.5 (D+) DTi grade ranked 91st among DTs last season.
After additional footage surfaced, it was revealed that Prescott initiated the controversial incident. The Cowboys quarterback spat in the direction of the Eagles’ defense, which provoked Carter.
THE PLOT THICKENS.
More angles and context have surfaced about Jalen Carter’s ejection.
📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/2eFceHs14V
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 5, 2025
Carter later engaged in a verbal exchange with Prescott and spat on him, leading to the Eagles star’s ejection. Since Prescott’s spit did not land directly on an Eagles player, he will not face any consequences.
Through this exchange, Prescott managed to get arguably the Eagles’ top defender removed from the game, while Carter’s lack of composure proved costly.
Will Jalen Carter Be Suspended?
For a clear violation of the NFL’s conduct, the expulsion from the game was immediate from the refereeing crew. Its impact on the game, too, came almost immediately, with the Cowboys running down the length of the field effortlessly to open the game with a touchdown.
However, the bigger worry for the Eagles now has to be their defense in the coming games. Thanks to the severity of the situation, a suspension could become a reality in the coming days, once the NFL makes its official decision.
Curiously, a similar incident happened nearly two decades ago, when Terrell Owens spat on DeAngelo Hall. At the time, it resulted in a $35,000 fine against Owens, but he was mercifully not suspended.
With restrictions and rules tightening across the league, it will be interesting to see if the NFL reverts to a similar ruling in this instance. Or the penalty for the Eagles turns out to be worse.
Prescott should also be suspended. He initiated the encounter and did spit at Jalen Carter. Prescott’s behavior after spitting at Carter should be considered taunting. Let’s see what the NFL will do after reviewing the tape. Jalen Carter responded to Prescott’s actions (spitting, laughing, and tauting). SUSPEND AND FINE DAK PRESCOTT!
Stupid
Jalen Carter eats his soup with a fork.
Probably should learn the difference between a kickoff and a punt.
Probably not the crux of the story.
As good as he is for the Eagles, he should be traded before the game is over. That might have been the stupidest thing ever to happen in a football game!
Haha trade one of the most dominant DL in the league over a silly confrontation. Yea, not going to happen, but nice try Cowboys fan. How many football games have you actually watched if you think thats the stupidest thing to ever happen?