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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
What happens next after Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Carter spat on | |
opponent in season-opening NFL game? | |
By Ben Morse, Jacob Lev, CNN | |
Updated: | |
7:55 AM EDT, Fri September 5, 2025 | |
Source: CNN | |
Thursday’s was meant to be a celebration of the Philadelphia | |
Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning campaign last year. But before even the | |
first play from scrimmage of the 2025 NFL season, there was | |
controversy. | |
After the opening kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, a | |
flag was thrown by the officials and Eagles star lineman Jalen Carter | |
was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct – just six seconds into the | |
new season – much to the bemusement of many in attendance at Lincoln | |
Financial Field. | |
As boos rained down from the Philly crowd and Carter trudged to the | |
locker-room, TV cameras showed Carter appearing to spit at Cowboys | |
quarterback Dak Prescott. | |
NBC cameras later showed Prescott spitting in the direction of Carter | |
before the All-Pro had gotten in the face. | |
Carter later apologized for his actions, saying he made a | |
“mistake.” | |
“I feel bad for just my teammates and fans out here,” the | |
24-year-old said. “I’m doing it for them. Doing it for my family | |
also but fans, they show the most love. … It won’t happen again. | |
I’ve already made that promise.” | |
Prescott, however, downplayed the spitting incident, claiming he was | |
trying to “mess” with one of his offensive lineman and felt the | |
“need” to spit, which riled Carter up. | |
“He asked or goes: ‘Are you trying to spit on me?’” Prescott | |
told reporters. “At that point, I felt like he was insulting me. I | |
wouldn’t spit on somebody and I’m damn sure not trying to spit on | |
you, we’re trying to play a game and I’m wondering why you’re | |
trying to mess with the rookie (Tyler Booker). | |
“I step through and say the words: ‘Why the hell – excuse me | |
probably even more colorful – but why would I spit on you for?’ He | |
just spit on me in that moment, and it was more of a surprise than | |
anything.” | |
It didn’t stop the Eagles beginning their title defense with a | |
victory, beating the Cowboys 24-20. | |
But afterwards, Carter’s actions were the main talking point as well | |
as any potential punishment Carter could face for his actions. | |
‘The worst thing you can do’ | |
One thing that is unanimous is the criticism of players who spit at | |
their opponents. | |
Carter isn’t the first NFL player to do so and, if he does face | |
punishment, the lineman wouldn’t be the first to be penalized for | |
spitting on an opponent. | |
Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski was fined $7,500 for spitting | |
in the face of San Francisco 49ers receiver JJ Stokes in 1997. In | |
January 2006, Washington’s Sean Taylor was $17,000 for spitting on | |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Michael Pittman. Later in the year and the | |
following season, Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens was for spitting | |
in the face of Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall. | |
Each incident has brought about severe criticism from the NFL | |
fraternity, highlighting the lack of respect that comes with the act. | |
NFL Hall of Famer and then-Broncos teammate of Romanowski’s, Shannon | |
Sharpe, described being “livid” when he found out what the | |
linebacker had done in 1997. | |
“That’s the worst thing you can do,” he . “You spit on the | |
ground. You spit on me, you’re telling me I’m lower than the | |
ground.” | |
Similarly, Hall said his opinion on Owens had changed after being spat | |
at by the wide receiver. | |
“You don’t spit in another grown man’s face. Hopefully, the NFL | |
can see it and go back and watch the film just before the first punt of | |
the game,” Hall said, . “We were kind of walking face to face, and | |
he just hauled off and spit in my face. I lost all respect for the guy, | |
man, after that.” | |
So will he be punished? | |
When reached by , the NFL said it wouldn’t comment specifically on | |
the situation involving Carter, but noted that “a player who is | |
disqualified could face potential further discipline in the form of a | |
suspension or fine.” | |
“If I get that text or that call and have that conversation, we will | |
handle it,” Carter said when asked about a potential punishment. | |
When asked about whether Carter would face any internal punishment from | |
the Eagles, head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters that he’ll keep | |
those conversations private. | |
“We will handle it,” he said. | |
If Carter is suspended, it would be a big blow to an Eagles defense | |
which played a big part in the team winning the Super Bowl last season. | |
He was named to the second-team All-Pro and provided plenty of key | |
defensive moments to help Philadelphia to their championship-winning | |
campaign. | |
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