Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was kicked out of the game just moments after the pregame Super Bowl championship celebration for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott.
Jalen Carter apologizes after spitting incident
The ejection came just six seconds into Thursday night’s NFL season opener, with the Eagles receiving a 15-yard penalty before the first play from scrimmage. The Cowboys capitalized on the situation, scoring on the opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Javonte Williams, as reported by Yahoo! Sports.
After the opening kickoff, Prescott and Carter exchanged words, and Carter spat on Prescott’s jersey before stepping back. Prescott immediately signaled to the official, who threw the flag, ejecting Carter from the game. Fans booed as Carter slowly walked off the field, holding his helmet behind his back.
Referee Shawn Smith explained the situation to a pool reporter: “One of the officials observed him spitting on an opponent. It’s a disqualifiable foul in the game. It’s a non-football act.”
Carter later apologized, saying, “It was a mistake that happened on my side. It won’t happen again. I feel bad for just my teammates and the fans out there. I’m doing it for them. …,” he said, as per the news outlet. He added, “Just not being able to start the game, even, finish the game, it f***ed me up. But we’re gonna get better. It won’t happen again. I can make that promise.”
When asked if Prescott spat at him first, Carter said, “I don’t try to do nothing out of the ordinary,” he said. “Anything that I feel like I have done something back is provoked. If there’s something out there, y’all see it.”
Jalen Carter ejection almost cost the Eagles
Carter was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and disqualified from the game. His ejection almost cost the Eagles, but they ended up winning, 24-20. With Carter gone, the Eagles lost most of their defensive line rotation. Their interior linemen ended up playing most of the game, as per Yahoo! Sports.
This allowed Dallas to get off to a strong start running the ball. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, both on runs by Javonte Williams. However, Dallas was limited to just two field goals after that as the Philly defense started to adjust.