In the opening game of the 2025 NFL season between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, an incident overshadowed the matchup: just six seconds after kickoff, Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Dak Prescott during an injury stoppage. This happened even before Carter played a single snap.
Referee Shawn Smith classified Carter’s action as a “non-football act,” an unsportsmanlike conduct that warranted disqualification. Carter, Jalen Hurts’ teammate, was immediately ejected from the game, and the Eagles were penalized 15 yards. The Cowboys quickly took advantage and scored a touchdown on their first possession.
Footage showed that Prescott had spit first in Carter’s direction, apparently out of habit while moving past his linemen, though it was neither intentional nor aimed directly at his opponent. Carter, interpreting that gesture as provocation, responded by spitting directly on Prescott. Hours after the game, the Cowboys quarterback addressed the incident.
Prescott’s comments on his clash with Carter
“Yeah, I probably spit a thousand times throughout the game. I mean especially game day, maybe even in general and something I guess I’m not proud of,” Prescott told the press after the game against the Eagles, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter. He admitted it’s something he does regularly.
“He just spit on me in that moment, it was more of a surprise than anything. Refs obviously saw it through the flag. I was like, ‘We get 15 yards to start the game off.’ Didn’t realize he was getting ejected. Unfortunate that he did,” Prescott said about Carter’s reaction in the loss against the Eagles.
The Cowboys quarterback also revealed that when Carter accused him of spitting on him, he replied, “I’m sure I’m not trying to spit on you,” stressing that it’s something he does without any intention of unsettling opponents and that he tries to avoid spitting on his own teammates.
Carter’s apology
After the game and his brief ejection, Carter issued a public apology for the incident. “It was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again. I feel bad for my teammates and the fans… Not being able to start the game to finish the game really messed me up, but it won’t happen again,” the Eagles player stated.