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Nick Sirianni believes Jalen Carter will ‘learn from his mistakes,’ opts not to bench him against Chiefs

Carter says a benching of any duration was never mentioned when he talked to Sirianni after his ejection for spitting on Dak Prescott in the Eagles' season opener.

Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter pressures Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Sunday.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter pressures Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Sunday.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the practices leading up to Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jalen Carter felt like he was a week behind.

After all, he hadn’t played in the season opener vs. the Dallas Cowboys following his ejection for spitting on quarterback Dak Prescott just after the opening kickoff. One week later, after the Eagles’ 20-17 win over the Chiefs, Carter explained that he was motivated to make up for lost time.

“I’ve got some catching up to do,” Carter said.

» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Defensive line comes up as big as Jalen Carter; offense does enough to beat the Chiefs

He got in on the action right away in Week 2. Carter was not benched to begin the game, making the start on the defensive line alongside Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo.

That was what Carter expected. He said after the game that in his conversation with coach Nick Sirianni in the aftermath of his Week 1 ejection, a benching for any duration was not mentioned. The NFL fined Carter one game check for his infraction ($57,222), but the Eagles have kept their decision on any sort of team discipline under wraps.

Carter, the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Georgia, opted to keep the bulk of his conversation with Sirianni after the ejection private. However, he shared that his coach kept his comments positive rather than critical.

“He’s just always speaking positivity to me, just ’cause the internet will say what they say,” Carter said. “But he spoke some positivity into me and it boosted my energy and boosted me for this week, just to get ready to come out here and get the dub with the team.”

After the game, Sirianni harked back to a principle that Larry Kehres, his former head coach at Mount Union, instilled in him when he began coaching. While he believes in discipline — which he reiterated he would keep in-house — he also believes in letting his players know that they’re loved.

“Everyone needs to know they’re loved and appreciated,” Sirianni said. “And you’ve got to try to find ways to get better, you’ve got to make sure everyone’s disciplined on the football team. I believe in him and he’s got a great heart and I know that he’ll learn from his mistakes and continue to get better. I believe in him so much. He’s an important part of this football team and it makes me feel good that he recognized that and we needed him today.”

» READ MORE: ‘The Kingdom’ falls: Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes lose again to Nick Sirianni, Jalen Hurts and Eagles

Carter finished with three quarterback hits and two tackles, including one for a loss in his first true game of the season.

Just as important, Carter was not penalized during the game. When asked if he is concerned that teams will try to bait him going forward, Carter pointed out the dangers in doing so.

“I guess so,” Carter said. “If they do that, I think that’s taunting toward me. So they should be receiving the flag.”

At various points throughout the game, Carter appeared to grab his right wrist and elbow in pain. He didn’t miss any time, though. After the game, Carter said he was dealing with a “little stinger.”

“It’s just a little pain,” Carter said. “But it didn’t stop me from finishing out the game.”

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