Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) walks off the field after being ejected during the first quarter of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

NFL decides on Jalen Carter punishment for spitting on Dak Prescott

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 4:54 PM ET

The NFL has decided on its punishment for Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter for the spitting incident that kicked off the 2025 season on Thursday night. Carter was ejected before the first snap of the season for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

His punishment did not end there, but it's not quite as severe as some might have been expecting.

Philadelphia Eagles DL Jalen Carter gets a fine, but no suspension

Instead of suspending Carter for Sunday's Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs, the league reportedly has fined Carter $57,222, which is the exact amount he makes per game on his current contract.

The league decided not to suspend him because, in its view, the game he missed — a literal entire game — would count the same as a suspension.

NFL is fining Eagles DT Jalen Carter $57,222 for spitting on Dak Prescott. 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,”… pic.twitter.com/2KjRzgJk3K
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2025

The NFL's mindset does make some sense here. A one-game suspension seems like a fitting punishment for spitting on an opponent, and since Carter literally did not play a single snap of their season-opening win against the Dallas Cowboys, it is very easy to argue that he already served that.

The conspiracy-theory brain, however, might look at this as the NFL's way of making sure last year's Super Bowl teams are at full strength for a marquee Week 2 matchup, with the league not wanting to take a superstar player out of the game. But the most logical answer is that the NFL recognizes Carter already missed a full game and did not see the need to do more than just hit him with an additional fine.

The incident happened right before the first play of Thursday's game and was initially prompted by Prescott spitting in the direction of the Eagles huddle. Carter then approached Prescott and spit on him directly in front of an official. He was immediately penalized and ejected.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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