Eagles’ Jalen Carter fined over $57K for spitting on Cowboys’ Dak Prescott in season opener.
DALLAS — Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter will be fined just over $57,000 for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the season opener, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Carter, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Georgia, was ejected before the first snap of the game – only six seconds into the game – for spitting on Prescott as the two exchanged words after the opening kickoff.
Prescott quickly motioned to a nearby official who threw the flag and sent Carter packing. Fans booed as Carter walked off slowly, holding his helmet in his hands behind his back.
Carter apologized after the game.
“It was a mistake that happened on my side. It won’t happen again,” Carter said. “I feel bad for just my teammates and fans out there. I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for my family, also. But the fans, they showed the most love.”
Prescott said he simply spit straight ahead as he usually would, only for the saliva to land in the area near Carter, which raised the ire of the defenseman.
Prescott said Carter asked, “You trying to spit on me?”
“He was insulting me,” Prescott said. “I wouldn’t spit on somebody. I’m definitely not trying to spit on you. We’re about to play a game.”
The NFL said the game Carter was ejected from will serve as a one-game suspension.
“After talking to the Eagles, the NFL and the NFLPA, Jalen has decided not to appeal and focus on the Chiefs game,” Carter’s agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN.
In his Tuesday weekly radio interview, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones addressed the spitting incident. Jones was asked if he had an opinion on whether there should be further punishment on whether Carter deserved more suspension time.
“I don’t,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan. “There’s a big emphasis this year that we specifically focus and address anything that looks like behavior that we don’t associate it with the field. That’s one of them, so it wouldn’t surprise me either way because they paid a pretty high price for not having him in the ballgame.”
Carter will play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.