Jalen Carter’s penalty for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott sends a message to the rest of the league.
Carter is losing $57,222 for the infraction, the equivalent of his game check for Week 1 because the NFL considers the punishment a one-game suspension with time served. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle didn’t play a snap after he was ejected from Philadelphia’s 24-20 victory over Dallas on Thursday.
Carter is expected to be on the field when the Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch on Sunday. The team could impose its own discipline such as benching Carter for the first play, the first series or longer.
The NFL’s distinction of a one-game suspension sets a precedent and makes it clear to players that spitting on an opponent will result in similar discipline. The NFL Players Association could view the discipline as a fine for future arguments.
Carter isn’t appealing his penalty.
“I’m going to keep everything that I do with him private, regardless of if you see it on Sunday or not,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday about his best defensive player. “Everything, every conversation, whether it’s a personal conversation, a disciplinary thing, all those things will always be handled privately. I just think that’s the way to go about doing team business and when you’re doing things with a football team.”
Carter apologized for being disqualified from the game. Players have been fined for spitting on opponents in the past, but there wasn’t a case where anyone was suspended for doing it.
Until now — technically.
Carter’s infraction came moments after the franchise’s second Super Bowl banner was raised. He was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct before the first snap from scrimmage while trainers were attending to an injury on the kickoff.
Carter approached Prescott after the quarterback had stepped up in the huddle, stood between two of his linemen and spit on the ground in the direction of Carter, who was several yards away.
The two players exchanged words before Carter spit on Prescott’s jersey and then backed away. Prescott quickly motioned to a nearby official, who threw the flag.
It was an easy call after the league made it clear that enforcing sportsmanship would be a point of emphasis this season.
“It was a mistake that happened on my side. It won’t happen again,” Carter said after the game. “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, explaining he does so often during games. His saliva landed near Carter, which raised his ire.
Prescott said Carter asked: “You trying to spit on me?”
“I wouldn’t spit on somebody. I’m definitely not trying to spit on you. We’re about to play a game,” Prescott said.
Carter has previously demonstrated a pattern of poor discipline.
He was penalized three times for unnecessary roughness last season and was also benched to start a game in a disciplinary move by Sirianni. One of Carter’s penalties in a game against Pittsburgh last December led to Sirianni having a heated conversation with defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, who stood in front of the player on the sideline when the coach approached him.
Carter also was fined $17,445 for an open-handed blow to the head of Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz in the NFC championship game.
The Eagles were only in position to draft Carter in 2023 with the ninth overall pick because several teams passed him up due to his role in a fatal car crash in college that killed a teammate, offensive lineman Devin Willock, and a Georgia recruiting staffer, Chandler LeCroy.
Carter received one year of probation and was fined $1,000 after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing related to the wreck.
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