Former Eagles players, Stephen A. Smith — even Gov. Shapiro — have takes on Jalen Carter spitting on Dak Prescott
What should the NFL do about Carter? And does Prescott share some of the blame? Here’s what they’re saying.
It’s the day after spit-gate, and everyone seems to have a take on the spit heard across the nation during Thursday’s opener.
Jalen Carter was ejected just six seconds into the Eagles matchup with the Dallas Cowboys after he was caught spitting on Dak Prescott from basically every possible angle. Later in the game, the cameras revealed that Prescott spit on the ground in his direction before Carter retaliated by spitting on him.
“Utterly disgusted,” Stephen A. Smith, former Inquirer columnist and noted Cowboys hater, said of Carter’s actions. “It’s inexcusable. You’re Jalen Carter. First of all, he should’ve been ejected. Secondly, I think he should be suspended for at least one game. You don’t spit on anybody. You don’t spit on a man. … Who’s the most protected football player on the field? It’s the quarterback. You spit on Dak Prescott and you don’t think somebody’s going to see that? Just the dumbest possible thing.”
While most were in agreement that Carter had crossed a line, some, like former Eagle Seth Joyner, felt Prescott’s actions, which went unpunished in the game, were also suspension worthy.
After receiving a bit of backlash, Joyner clarified his statement.
“Spitting on vs. at is a major difference, on is much more egregious than at!” Joyner posted on X. “Carter deserved to be tossed! But Dak spit in Carter’s direction! That instigated the situation! Carter has to be more mature! But let’s not ignore Dak’s actions here either!
“I never want to see any player ejected or suspended. But the NFL can’t just ignore Dak here and act like Carter walking over and spitting on Dak wasn’t incited by Dak’s actions! Carter’s action was inexcusable!”
» READ MORE: Jalen Carter spat on Dak Prescott. Selfish. Stupid. The Eagles should suspend him. | Marcus Hayes
Another former Eagle, LeSean McCoy, chimed in on Up & Adams, saying he didn’t think Prescott was trying to spit on Carter, since they were “some distance apart.”
And he believes Carter’s reaction was a sign of the league’s lack of respect for Prescott.
“I think Jalen was trying to bully him,” McCoy said. “Dak comes off as somebody you might want to bully. … I don’t think a lot of people respect Dak. … You spit on somebody, it’s like, I have no respect for you. Whatever I do, you ain’t going to do nothing back.”
Prescott denied postgame that he intentionally spit in Carter’s direction, saying that he spits “a thousand times a game.” But not everyone believed his explanation.
Even Gov. Josh Shapiro, a big sports fan who has been known to call into local radio shows as “Josh from Juniata,” chimed in to comment on the “double-standard” toward the Birds.
“Dak did spit first,” Shapiro told JAKIB Sports on Friday. “I’m sick and tired of the Cowboys getting all kinds of advantages. … Dak spit first, it doesn’t excuse Carter, but I think there’s a double-standard there, and the Birds are constantly disrespected.”