‘He was insulting me’ – Dak Prescott responds to Jalen Carter spitting incident as Eagles star offers groveling apology
Jalen Carter has apologised after he was ejected six seconds into the the NFL season-opener for spitting on Dak Prescott.
The Philadelphia Eagles standout defensive tackle was tossed before the first snap of the game at Lincoln Financial Field
on Thursday night.
After kickoff, a lengthy injury delay for Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren saw Carter and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott go face-to-face.
The pair exchanged words, and Carter spit on Prescott's jersey before he backed away.
Dallas' franchise QB motioned to a nearby official, who threw the flag and quickly ejected Carter for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Fans inside the Linc, who had watched Philly's pregame Super Bowl championship celebration moments before, booed as the third-year star walked off slowly with his helmet behind his back.
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The Eagles went on to win a tight game 24-20, and Carter later apologized for the incident in the locker room.
Carter sends message to teammates after spitting incident
“It was a mistake that happened on my side. It won’t happen again,” the 24-year-old said.
“I feel bad for just my teammates and fans out there.
"I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for my family, also. But the fans, they showed the most love.
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"Not being able to start the game even, finish the game, it f***ed me up but we're going to get it better.
"It won't happen again. I can make that promise."
Carter also said he talked to his fellow defensive linemen at halftime, and made it clear that there wouldn't be a repeat occurrence.
New footage shows what sparked spitting incident
With the altercation dominating social media discussions as the game unfolded, video later surfaced that showed Prescott spitting in the direction of his opponent and Philadelphia's defense, before Carter spit on him.
Post-game, the $240 million Cowboys star shed further light on the situation.
He said he simply spit straight ahead as he usually would, only for it to land near where Carter was standing.
"I guess I needed to spit. I wasn’t going to spit on my linemen. I just spit ahead," he explained.
That upset the Eagles DT, who then asked if Prescott's action was intentional.
“At that point, I thought he was insulting me,” the NFL's highest-paid player added.
“I wouldn’t spit on somebody.
"I’m definitely not trying to spit on you. We’re about to play a game.”
Prescott added Carter's ejection was 'unfortunate'.
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“It was more of a surprise than anything,” he continued.
“The refs obviously saw it. Threw the flag. I was like, `Hell yeah! We get 15 yards to start the game off.′ Didn’t realize he was getting ejected.
"Unfortunate that he did. Hell of a player.”
Eagles legend slams Carter's actions
While Thursday's game marked the first time Carter has been ejected from an NFL game, he did struggle at times with on-field conduct over his first two seasons.
He had seven total penalties in 2024, including three for unnecessary roughness, and was benched at the start of the Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons in a disciplinary move last season.
Carter was then fined more than $11,000 for striking Connor Heyward in Week 15.
His latest incident drew ire from Eagles legend Jason Kelce, who took to social media to share his thoughts.
"What in the f*** just happened," Kelce asked.
"This is the most wild start to an NFL season of all time. First play of the game, one player is carted off, the other ejected. I mean everyone knows you don’t spit, you swallow."
He then re-posted a video that appeared to show Prescott spitting first, and wrote: "And the truth shall set you free."
Will Carter be suspended for spitting?
While Carter missed Philadelphia's opening game, he could still be suspended further for the spitting incident.
The NFL earlier this year discussed the importance of 'respect for the opponent' and sportsmanship is a point of emphasis for officials this season.
Discipline is always determined after the dust settles, and it’s possible the league could decide to take further action against Carter.
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The Eagles will hope that won't be the case, as they face the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch in Week 2.
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