The first game of the 2025 NFL season already had one of the craziest moments of the season. Before the first snap, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected after spitting at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. It was a wild sight to see a player get kicked out of the game before it even started.
The Eagles still managed to come away with the win, mainly due to the efforts of Saquon Barkley on offense. However, fans are wondering if the NFL will end up punishing Carter by suspending him from playing in future games.
It's possible that Carter wouldn't be suspended. Tom Pelissero reported that the NFL is looking at the sanctions it will impose on the Eagles defender. However, Pelissero points out that Carter was essentially “suspended” for one game, as he was ejected before the game even started. Ian Rapoport also noted that, “Generally (but not always), players who are ejected don’t serve additional suspensions.”
Carter was ejected from the Eagles-Cowboys game after he was caught spitting at Prescott. It was shown after the incident that Prescott did spit at the ground prior to Carter's attack. Whether that plays into the NFL's decision-making on the sanctions remains to be seen.
Without Carter, the Eagles' ground defense struggled mightily against the Cowboys initially. Running back Javonte Williams rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns after Carter's ejection, while former Eagle Miles Sanders also rushed for 53 yards on just four carries. The Cowboys' rushing attack was seen as their biggest weakness this season, so the fact that the Eagles struggled at first to contain their running backs was telling.
However, the Eagles were able to recover in time. A forced fumble against Sanders after the rain delay gave them just enough breathing room to seal the win over the Cowboys. Their next game is a Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
