NFL Announces Punishment for Jalen Carter Spitting on Cowboys' Dak Prescott

The NFL has announced its punishment against Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who spit on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the team’s season opener last week.

Carter, 24, has been fined $57,222, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, the Eagles superstar will not be forced to miss any game action due to the bizarre nature of the incident. 

“Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles has been suspended without pay for one game for his act of unsportsmanlike conduct in last Thursday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys,” the NFL said in a press release on Tuesday, September 9. “Because Carter was disqualified before participating in a single play, the suspension is considered to have been served in Week 1 and he will forfeit his game check.”

The league added, “The NFL Players Association has informed the NFL that Carter will not contest the discipline and has waived his right to appeal. He is eligible to participate in the club’s Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.”

The Eagles travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on Sunday, September 14. 

Carter was ejected from the Eagles’ game against the Cowboys on Thursday, September 4, after he spit on Prescott, 32, before the first play from scrimmage.  

After the game, Carter admitted he had made a “mistake.”

“It just won’t happen again,” Carter told reporters. “I feel bad for just my teammates and the fans out there. You know, 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***ed me up, but it won’t happen again.”

The sequence of events became even more salacious when video allegedly showed Prescott spitting in Carter’s direction before Carter returned the favor. 

Prescott attempted to explain exactly what went down when he spoke to the media after the game. 

“I was just looking at [Carter] and I was right here in between two linemen,” Prescott said. “I guess I needed to spit, and I wasn’t going to spit on my linemen, so I just spit ahead.”

Prescott said Carter thought he was aiming at him, asking Prescott, “Are you trying to spit on me?”

“At that point, I felt like he was insulting me,” Prescott continued. “I wouldn’t spit on somebody and I’m damn sure not trying to spit on you, we’re trying to play a game. … I stepped through [and] I actually said words like, ‘The hell — excuse me, but probably even more colorful — what would I need to spit on you for?’ And he just spit on me in that moment. It was more of a surprise than anything.”

The Eagles won the game 24-20.