Thursday night’s game between the Cowboys and Eagles took a wild turn before the first snap when Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Carter’s loogie was launched in front of an official, which made the ejection an easy call, and video showed that it appeared to be in response to Prescott spitting in his direction as the teams began huddling up after the opening kickoff. Prescott could be seen spitting in the direction of the Eagles and said in his postgame press conference that he spits “a thousand times throughout the game.”
Prescott said he “wasn’t going to spit on my lineman and I just spit ahead,” which led to Carter asking if Prescott was trying to spit on him. Prescott, who called that “insulting” because “I wouldn’t spit on somebody,” could be seen on video responding to Carter while moving toward him before Carter’s own spit flew.
“I actually said words like, ‘Why the hell would I’ — excuse me, but probably even more colorful — ‘what would I need to spit on you for?’ He just spit on me in that moment, it was more of a surprise than anything,” Prescott said, via a transcript from the Eagles.
Prescott said he’s “pretty sure [Carter] knows that I didn’t try to spit on him or wasn’t even aiming to spit on him” and that he doesn’t “wish for anybody” to be ejected even though it was a positive for the Cowboys on the drive and throughout the game.
“I know how excited each and every one of us are right to kick off the season and the season opener, and hell of a player like that doesn’t even get a chance in the first play,” Prescott said. “Unfortunate circumstances.”
Carter called it a mistake that won’t happen again after the 24-20 Eagles win, although the entire incident will likely be revisited before the two teams square off again later this season.
