Things escalated to an unholy level when NFC East archrivals, the Cowboys and Eagles, faced off against each other in Week 1. They didn’t even make the first play of the night; the officials ejected Jalen Carter. An unsportsmanlike penalty was imposed, costing Philly 15 yards already. The team hasn’t officially addressed it. But Jason Kelce, who still honorarily represents Philly, certainly did. 

All of it happened a little too quickly to process. Dak Prescott spat on the ground, directed at the defensive tackle. It triggered a brief verbal exchange between the two. But without giving a second thought, Carter escalated the situation by spitting directly on Prescott’s jersey. The quarterback instantly signaled to the referee, and a flag was raised. “Emotionless” was described as Carter’s expression while being escorted off the field. At that moment, the legendary Kelce had just one thought: “What the hell is going on right now?”

In the latest edition of the New Heights podcast with his brother, Travis Kelce, the former NFL center recalled his reaction upon seeing Carter’s ejection. At the time, he was standing next to Richard Green, one of Philly’s owners. “It was just a very frustrating moment,” he admitted. Then he directed at the 24-year-old with some much-needed advice: “Don’t let this dumb behavior jeopardize the career and person and legacy you can build, especially in this city. You shouldn’t let that jeopardize.” 

Acknowledging the talent the Carter possesses, Jason claimed, “He has a chance to be one of the best defensive linemen in this era of football. That’s how good this kid can be. That’s how dominant he has been to this point.” Speaking from experience, the six-time All-Pro center emphasized the need to keep your composure as a player… No matter how triggering your opponents are.

In his opinion, the best response to Prescott’s spitting in Carter’s direction would have been to destroy him in the game. “You got four quarters to do something back to this dude. You’re going to have your chances, Bubba.”

What’s worse is that Carter, projected to be Defensive Player of the Year this season, has been imposed with a penalty of $57,222 as per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. “The NFL Players Association has informed the NFL that Carter will not contest the discipline and has waived his right to appeal,” the NFL mentioned in the official statement. 

Meanwhile, after reviewing the incident, the league concluded that Carter’s suspension would be considered ‘served’ given that he missed Week 1. This means he will be joining the Eagles for the upcoming clash against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Aftermath of Jalen Carter’s ejection 

The defensive tackle’s actions were a heart-of-the-moment thing. But he wholly regretted it. “It was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again,” he told the reporters afterwards. “It won’t happen again. I made that promise.” Though his ejection was utterly disappointing, his teammates stood by him. Left tackle Jordan Mailata affirmed that Carter was “remorseful” about his act after he apologized to his teammates about it.

Moro Ojomo also spoke on Carter’s behalf, stating, “Jalen is a part of us… He did something, and we all make mistakes.” Even though the whole incident was started by Prescott, Carter refused to justify his behaviour on that or shift the blame. Meanwhile, Prescott did give his side of the story, explaining that he wasn’t trying to trigger his opponent. According to him, he just had the urge to spit. “I wouldn’t spit on somebody… He just spit on me in that moment. It was more of a surprise than anything,” he added, claiming that Carter misunderstood his actions. 

The night ended, and the NFL also isn’t proceeding with the matter further. But what about the Eagles’ in-house disciplinary action against Carter? Well, head coach Nick Sirianni refused to address the subject. He asserted that whether or not Philly would take any action against Carter is a private matter and the team intends to keep it that way, without making it a spectacle.