Dak Prescott, Jalen Carter explain spit incident, ejection: ‘It was a mistake’
It didn’t take long for the fireworks to set off in the NFL season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. And no, not the pregame fireworks to celebrate the Eagles’ Super Bowl banner being unveiled.
Following the opening kickoff, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was huddled with his offensive linemen when he leaned between them to spit on the ground. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter took it as a hostile act and approached Prescott, meeting face-to-face with him.
After a few words were exchanged, Carter spit at the bottom of Prescott’s neck. An official watched it all go down and threw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected Carter before he played a snap.
“I probably spit a thousand times throughout a game,” Prescott said. “I was right by the two linemen, I needed to spit, and I didn’t want to spit on them. I spit ahead. [Carter] goes, ‘You trying to spit on me?’ I felt like he was insulting me.
“I wouldn’t spit on somebody. I’m damn sure not trying to spit on him before a game. I step forward and say, ‘Why the hell would I need to spit on you for?’ And then he spit on me. I was more surprised than anything.”
Carter was escorted to the locker room, where he watched the rest of the Eagles’ 24-20 season-opening win over their division rivals. After the game, he took full accountability for the incident.
“It was a mistake that happened on my side,” Carter said. “It won’t happen again. I feel bad for my teammates out there. I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for my family. The fans, they showed the most love. Just not being able to start the game, finish the game, it [messed] me up. I’ll get better. It won’t happen again. I can promise you.”
Prescott thought initially that it would just be a penalty. But following the ejection of one of the Eagles’ top defensive players, it changed the game plan for Dallas.
“I was like, ‘Hell yeah, we’re getting 15 yards to start the game off,’” Prescott said. “I didn’t realize he was getting ejected. It’s unfortunate that he did. He’s a hell of a player. It changed our plan and our blocking scheme. As I said, we were going to protect against him. I don’t wish for anyone to get out of the game, and I’m sure he regrets that to some extent. I think he knows I wasn’t trying to spit on him. I feel sorry for him. A player like that doesn’t even get a chance to [play].”
In the locker room after the game, Carter apologized to his teammates.
“It was intense for me,” he said. “I wanted to be out there with the guys so bad to support and help, even if it was standing on the sideline. But things went how they went. I made a promise to those boys that it won’t happen again.”
