Jalen Carter responds to fans criticizing him for crying during Eagles-49ers game
The Philadelphia Eagles took their second loss of the year on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. First-rounder Jalen Carter got emotional amid the 42-19 loss with fans sharing on social media a video that shows him crying while talking to head coach Nick Sirianni.
The former Georgia Bulldog clapped back at those who would criticize him for showing emotion. The loss was particularly hard to stomach given that it was in front of the home crowd in Philadelphia.
“I’ll rather cry for losing a game then cry that I’m still broke y’all get y’all life together,” Carter posted on his Instagram story.
Philadelphia took the defensive tackle with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Georgia after he helped the team win back-to-back national titles. He signed a four-year, $21.8 million rookie deal.
Carter is making a major impact for the Super Bowl contenders in his first season in the Kelly Green. He is third on the team in sacks with four so far this year, along with 26 total tackles, six tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
The Eagles need Carter to keep it up in Week 14. They travel to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Although the Eagles won the first matchup between the NFC East rivals, Dallas holds a 14-game home winning streak that could be tough to snap in primetime.
Eagles loving first-round pick Jalen Carter
Carter has impressed everyone within the organization, including defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Desai noted several weeks into the season just how much Carter loves football.
“I don’t know if it’s a surprise, but it’s impressive how much he loves football,” Desai said. “He’s like a sponge… asking for feedback… getting coached hard.”
Part of why he’s had so much success, according to Desai, is how well he takes to coaching because of his desire to improve.
“And even from his peers, he’s taking a lot of coaching from his peers, and whoever he can feel like he can get information from, a lot of guys are touching him. Coach [Tracy] Rocker obviously is a primary key point. [Fletcher Cox], obviously, has been big. And even [defensive and football operations assistant] Matt Leo has done a tremendous job of pulling him aside and doing things with him, Coach [Jeremiah] Washburn,” Desai said.
“That’s the impressive part. He’s a sponge, wants to keep getting better, keep being a big part of this defense and impacting and he’s taking ownership.”