It took just one play for the Philadelphia Eagles to lose their defensive star Jalen Carter in Thursday night’s season opener against the Dallas Cowboys and it had nothing to do with injury.
Moments after the opening kickoff, cameras caught Carter walking toward the Cowboys’ huddle during a stoppage in play. Standing face mask to face mask with quarterback Dak Prescott, Carter appeared to spit on him. Officials immediately flagged Carter for unsportsmanlike conduct and threw him out of the game before he had taken a single snap. He was escorted to the locker room by team staff.
At first, no one knew what sparked the incident. Later in the game, though, footage surfaced that showed Prescott had spit first in Carter’s direction, though it seemed aimed at the turf.
Carter’s absence was a major blow. The 300-pound lineman was a breakout force in Philadelphia’s championship run last season, pressuring quarterbacks on his own and shining brightest during the playoffs, including the Super Bowl against Kansas City. With Jalen Hurts leading the offense and Saquon Barkley making history in the backfield, Carter was the Eagles’ quiet superstar on defense.
The loss is even tougher considering the Eagles already saw their defensive front weakened in the offseason. Tackle Milton Williams signed with New England, and pass rusher Josh Sweat left for Arizona. That left Carter as the key figure to anchor the line this year.
Now, fans will have to wait until Week 2 to see how he responds.
