'I believe in him,' - Nick Sirianni refuses to bench Eagles' Jalen Carter in Super Bowl LIX rematch

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter completely missed out on playing Week 1 after he was ejected from the game for spitting in Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's face.

While Carter received a hefty fine of over $57,000 from the NFL, he did not face another game suspension .... as many believed he should have.

That meant Carter was back to starting for the Eagles on the defensive line in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carter recorded two tackles, a tackle for loss, and three quarterback hits. He also didn't receive a single foul.

Nick Sirianni Explains Why He Chose Not to Bench Jalen Carter

After the game, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni explained why he chose not to bench Carter.

“Yeah, I believe in Jalen Carter,” Sirianni said. “I’ve gotten to know Jalen so much these past three years. And I believe in him. And, you know, we all, no matter how much money somebody makes, how much fame anybody has, everybody needs to know they’re loved and appreciated. Now, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have discipline or anything like that. Everything is kept in-house right there. And sometimes it’s, you know, there’s not a handbook on any of those things. I know this. 

"Larry Kehres told me this right when I started coaching: Everyone needs to know they’re loved and appreciated. And you've got to try to find ways to get better, you've got to make sure everyone's disciplined on the football team. And, yeah, I believe in him and he’s got a great heart, and I know that he’ll learn from his mistakes and continue to get better. I believe in him so much. He’s an important part of this football team, and it makes me feel good that he recognized that and we needed him today.”

While Carter may not have received much, if any, punishment from the Philly organization, he knows he still has some catching up to do.

"What happened, happened in Week 1. We’re past it. But to me, I’m a week behind with everybody in the league," Carter admitted. "So I got some catching up to do. Just connecting to do with the guys and getting better. That’s what I’m thinking about.”

Carter and the Eagles' next chance to make some good things happen will come in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.