NFL fines Eagles DT Jalen Carter for spitting incident with Dak Prescott

Jalen Carter was ejected before the very first play of the season for spitting on Dak Prescott. Now, the National Football League has announced further punishment for the third-year defensive tackle.

The NFL has announced a fine of $57,222, which represents the amount of his game check, to Carter for the spitting incident, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. His ejection from the season opener will serve as his only suspension, with Carter set to be available for Philadelphia’s next game on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX.

“NFL is fining Eagles DT Jalen Carter $57,222 for spitting on Dak Prescott,” Schefter reported on Tuesday afternoon. “The league also says the game he was ejected for will serve as a one-game suspension.”

“After talking to the Eagles, the NFL and the NFLPA, Jalen has decided not to appeal and focus on the Chiefs game,” Drew Rosenhaus, Carter’s agent, said per Schefter.

Ian Rapoport at the NFL Network has since posted the statement shared on the punishment from the National Football League. It came with an emphasis on sportsmanship and the league rules regarding those practices.

“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. 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 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,” read the release. “League rules prohibiting unsportsmanlike conduct re of vital importance to everyone involved in the game. The NFL has been clear with players, clubs, and the NFLPA that it plans to place particular emphasis on sportsmanship this season.”

Carter was ejected soon after the opening kickoff of Cowboys vs. Eagles after going face-to-face with Prescott. Later footage would show Prescott spitting at the ground in his direction, which he said wasn’t intentionally aimed at him but was still something Carter took exception too. However, all anyone originally saw was Carter spitting at Prescott, including an official standing right there who threw the flag and tossed him for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“It was a mistake that happened on my side and it just won’t happen again,” Carter said postgame of the matter. “Not being able to start the game even, finish the game, it f****d me up but we’re going to get it better. It won’t happen again.”

That being the case, the NFL chose to not suspend Carter for any further games. That was the expectation of many in the aftermath, but the immediate ejection appears to have been punishment enough to the league as far as games missed.

Decision-making aside here, Carter is one of the best players, especially at his age, in the National Football League. He has, through two seasons, posted 75 tackles, 20 being for loss, with 25 hits on the quarterback, 10.5 sacks, six deflections, and four forced fumbles with a recovery that went for a touchdown. That includes last season where Carter, who helped Philly to go on to win Super Bowl LIX, earned his first selection to the Pro Bowl and a nod as Second Team All-Pro, while also earning a couple of votes towards Defensive Player of the Year.

However, considering all things, Carter avoided a more significant punishment without a suspension this afternoon coming down from the NFL. He’ll now take the fine and move forward discipline-wise ahead of this weekend’s game against the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.