The NFL has made a massive decision in the Jalen Carter ‘spitgate’ row. The league released its ruling on Tuesday, saying that the 24-year-old has been hit with a one-game suspension.
However, there’s a twist – the ruling states that Carter has already served the suspension and will be able to participate in the Week 2 Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, Carter has not been let go without implications. The defensive tackle has been fined $57,222 for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott seconds into the NFL’s season opener Thursday night, the AP reported, citing sources.
The Pro Bowl star was ejected minutes after kickoff vs the Cowboys. Philadelphia eventually won the game 24-20. Jalen Carter will now play the Eagles vs Chiefs high-profile matchup, unless the team imposes its own suspension.
“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. “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.”
The confrontation unfolded before the first offensive snap. Prescott had stepped into the huddle when Carter, standing several yards away, spit in his direction. The quarterback later said he often spits on the field during games and insisted it was unintentional, but Carter took offense.
After a brief exchange of words, Carter spat directly onto Prescott’s jersey. The Cowboys star immediately pointed it out to an official, who threw the flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, leading to Carter’s disqualification.
Carter apologized after the game. “It was a mistake on my part. It won’t happen again. I feel bad for my teammates, the fans, and my family. The fans especially, they’ve shown the most love,” he said.
Prescott, for his part, attempted to diffuse the situation. He recalled Carter asking if he was trying to spit on him. “I wouldn’t spit on somebody. I wasn’t trying to spit on him at all, we were just about to play a game,” Prescott explained.