During the Philadelphia Eagles’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected just six seconds into the game for spitting on quarterback Dak Prescott.
Video later showed Prescott had spat toward the ground in Carter’s direction first. The two gestures were not vaguely comparable, and Carter was fined $57,222 and received a one-game suspension (retroactively served due to his ejection).
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce, on his “New Heights” podcast, criticized Carter’s actions as “dumb” and urged him to be smarter for the sake of the team.
“What are we doing?” he asked. “I don’t understand why that would happen. It was just a very frustrating moment … It’s just a really awful thing to be a part of as a fan base, as an organization and for that player.”
Kelce went on to point out that Carter’s early career has been awash in controversy.
“He’s a great player,” he added. “He’s had all of these character things or whatever surround him, and then to do this, all of that gets brought up.”
Kelce continues to rip Jalen Carter
Kelce, who spent the entirety of his 13-year NFL career with the Eagles, earning seven Pro Bowl nods and leading the team to a Super Bowl LII victory, continued his criticism of Jalen Carter.
But he also suggested what “heights” Carter can achieve if he gets his head on straight.
“He has to be smarter than this. He has a chance to be one of the best defensive linemen in this era of football. That’s how dominant he has been to this point,” Kelce explained. “Don’t let this dumb behavior jeopardize the career, the person and the legacy that you can build — especially in this city.”
Kelce admits that everyone does stupid things, including him, but advises the fellow Super Bowl champ to move forward to redeem his image.
“It’s really unfortunate that now he’s going to have that image on him. Again, we all make mistakes. I have done things that I’m not proud of. Everybody gets caught up in the heat of the moment. He’s taken accountability,” he said.
“Now, moving forward, we need you to be better than that, Jalen. We have to have you better than that. And you need to be better than that for yourself.”
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History of troubled Behavior
As to Kelce’s reference about Carter’s already documented character issues, Jalen faced legal issues stemming from a January 2023 car crash in Athens, Georgia, where he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing.
The plea deal resulted in 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service.
Additionally, he was sued by former Georgia football staffer Victoria Bowles for leaving the scene of the fatal crash that killed teammate Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy, alleging he failed to offer aid due to concerns about publicity and his NFL draft status.
Carter apologized for Spitgate, saying it was “a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again.”