Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; 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)
- Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was suspended one game without pay for spitting on Dak Prescott, effectively served during his ejection.
- Carter forfeits $57,222 but keeps future contract guarantees after an agreement with the Eagles prevented voiding salaries and bonuses.
- The incident marks the NFL’s first suspension for spitting on an opponent; Carter won’t appeal and will prepare for Kansas City.
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Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter has received his punishment from the NFL for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott prior to last week’s season-opening game between the two teams.
Carter has been suspended without pay, but he’s already served the time.
Officially, Carter received a one-game suspension by the league, but since his ejection Thursday night occurred before the very first snap of the contest, Carter has, for all intents and purposes, served that sentence by sitting out the entirety of Philadelphia’s 24-20 win.
Carter will also forfeit the $57,222 game check he technically earned for that one game, ultimately making the league’s punishment equivalent to a one-game suspension without pay.
As ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio points out, it’s the first time the NFL has suspended a player for spitting on an opponent, even if Carter’s one-game banishment was served retroactively.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that Carter “has decided not to appeal and focus on the Chiefs game,” per Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Thursday’s ugly incident could, by the letter of the law, have been exponentially more costly to the former top-10 draft pick.
That’s because Rosenhaus has also worked with the Eagles on an agreement that safeguards Carter’s contractual bonuses. It had been reported previously that any suspension- even for just one game- would automatically void the remaining guarantees in Carter’s contract, including 2025 and 2026 base salaries as well as roster bonuses for the next two years.
Per Spotrac, Carter will earn a base salary of $1.03 million this season, with a roster bonus of $1.7 million. Next season, those figures will be $1.15 million and $2.58 million, respectively.
Tuesday’s agreement stipulates that the Eagles will not use this incident as a trigger to void those guarantees or seek any bonus forfeitures from Carter.
The Cowboys are scheduled for a Week 12 rematch with Carter and the Eagles at AT&T Stadium, four days before Thanksgiving.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Eagles’ Jalen Carter receives league punishment for spitting on Cowboys’ Dak Prescott
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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