Things often go into unpredictable waters when two rivals meet on the gridiron. The same story repeated in the Week 7 game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. Well, things got pretty heated in the third quarter of the game, when the Eagles led by one point (21-20).
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With about 4:47 left in the third quarter, during a first-and-10, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter showed a bit of aggression toward Cowboys tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. The play began with Dak Prescott passing the ball to Javonte Williams for a rushing play. To make things work, Spann-Ford faced Carter and tried to prevent him from bringing Williams down. That’s when Carter threw a punch at the tight end’s face.
It didn’t take long for the Eagles’ defensive lineup to bring Williams down. But the spotlight went to Carter once again, as he shoved Spann-Ford’s neck and tried to push him aside. While the referees didn’t seem to notice the aggression, the broadcasting desk recorded it all.
“Here’s Jalen Carter taking a shot at Brevyn Spann-Ford – a couple (of shots),” Monday Night Football color commentator and former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said during the broadcast. “He’ll probably hear from the league on that one. We haven’t really mentioned Jalen Carter’s name tonight unless he took a swing at somebody.”
Well, in such instances, the NFL slams the players with a $12,537 fine. That’s the amount Carter will likely have to pay for his strikes. It’s worth noting that this would be Carter’s first fine in the 2026 season.
Of course, it’s the Cowboys who got the last laugh. They scored a 16-yard touchdown just a few plays later. Ultimately, they secured a 38-21 win over the Eagles.
Meanwhile, Carter could face another fine for refusing to speak to the media, as this was the third time in a row that the DT has refused. According to the NFL Media Access Policy, the players should be open to media interviews about 10-15 minutes after entering the locker room after a game. But the defensive tackle didn’t even interact with the media personnel.
“Nah, y’all have a good night,” the defensive tackle replied when Eagles beat writer EJ Smith tried to talk to him after the game in the locker room. “You get home safe.”
For violating NFL Media Policy, players have been fined $50,000. Well, that was the case for Marshawn Lynch when he left the Seahawks locker room without talking to the media personnel following a loss to the Chiefs back in 2014. Of course, that’s not a universal fine for refusing to answer a reporter.
But Carter tends to show off his aggressive side mostly when it’s a game against the Cowboys.
Last season, Carter entered a scuffle with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the season opener. He spat on the quarterback, and the NFL wasn’t really happy about it. The league slammed a $57,222 fine. That’s indeed the amount he was supposed to receive for the game. Instead, he had to miss out on the paycheck.
The NFL further disqualified him for unsportsmanlike behavior. Since the incident happened right at the beginning of the game, the officials didn’t put a separate suspension on the defensive tackle.
“It was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again,” Carter told the media after the game. “I feel bad for just my teammates and the fans out there. I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for my family also, but the fans, they show the most love. You heard them out there, and not being able to start the game to finish the game just f—- me up, but it won’t happen again.”
Carter once again let the Dallas Cowboys get inside his head, breaking his own promise to keep his composure after last year’s spitting incident. For now, he has to brace for a costly double dose of discipline from the NFL.