Defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Carter was disqualified from their first game against the Cowboys for unsportsmanlike conduct on September 4 after he allegedly spat on opposing quarterback Dak Prescott.
The game had just barely begun when Carter approached Prescott and the pair exchanged words, ending in Carter’s alleged spitting on Prescott. His actions caused him to be removed from the game and cost the team a 15-yard penalty.
While the Eagles ultimately continued on to a 24-20 win without him that evening, the incident still came with some regrets from Carter.
“I wanted to be out there with the guys so bad,” Carter shared with reporters. “Just to support and help, even just standing on the sidelines, but things went how they went. We just got to move on. I made a promise to them boys, it won’t happen again.”
Prescott shared his side of the story, explaining that he spat on the ground first, which Carter seemed to take to mean that Prescott was spitting in his direction.
“[Carter] goes, ‘Are you trying to spit on me?’ At that point, I mean I felt like he was insulting me. I wouldn’t spit on somebody,” Prescott shared, “’I’m damn sure I’m not trying to spit on you.’ We’re about to play a game […] ‘What would I need to spit on you for?’ He just spit on me in that moment, it was more of a surprise than anything.”
Carter did not provide such a detailed account of the incident and simply stated his regrets after the game saying, “It was a mistake that happened on my side. It just won’t happen again. I feel bad for just my teammates and the fans out there.”
The big question of whether or not Carter’s actions will result in further suspension still remains at this time as NFL officials continue to evaluate the situation.
