Jalen Carter ejection: Head referee explains what led to Eagles DL's disqualification vs. Cowboys
Referee Shawn Smith confirmed that Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was ejected from Thursday’s Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys for “spitting on an opponent.” The opponent, in this case, was Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
The ejection came after Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren was injured on the opening kickoff. With Dallas’ offense and Philadelphia’s defense on the field, Carter began jawing with Prescott. At the end of their exchange, Carter spit on Prescott. An official was right there and immediately flagged Carter for unsportsmanlike conduct before ejecting him from the game.
“It’s a disqualifiable foul in the game,” Smith told Zach Berman of The Athletic. “It’s a non-football act.”
Additional details of the incident emerged during the over hour-long weather delay. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris reported Prescott spit on the ground in the “general vicinity” of the Eagles’ huddle. Carter thought it was “hostile,” and although Prescott started to explain it was not, Carter spit back.
Could Jalen Carter face a suspension for spitting on Dak Prescott?
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported Carter could face a suspension for the incident. The biggest factor, according to Florio, could be how Carter handles things post-game.
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The weather delay provided a chance for the NBC crew to chime in. Rodney Harrison called Carter’s actions “selfish.”
“I was really disappointed with him,” Harrison said. “He has to understand how important he is to that to that team. They’ve lost a bunch of guys, so he’s the best player on that defense. And I just thought it was very selfish and very disrespectful to spit in Dak’s face.”
Tony Dungy added his perspective on a personal level. Morally and as a teammate.
“I don’t know how you can do that as a man, first of all,” Dungy said. “But then to let your teammates down, that’s unspeakable.”
On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this report.