An Embarrassing Start

It only took six seconds for the NFL to have its first controversy of the season. During the opening kickoff of the Eagles vs Cowboys, while a Philadelphia teammate was being treated for an injury, Carter confronted Dak Prescott and ended up spitting on him — an act clearly caught on camera.

The referees wasted no time: yellow flags flew, a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct was enforced, and the defensive tackle was immediately ejected without even playing a single snap.

Who Spit First?

The incident sparked outrage but also conflicting accounts. Some reports suggest that Prescott may have been the first to spit, provoking Carter’s reaction. What’s certain is that Carter paid the price with an early expulsion that infuriated Nick Sirianni and handicapped his team from the start.

The action inevitably brought back memories of what happened days earlier in MLS, when Luis Suárez spat at a member of the opposing coaching staff after Inter Miami’s elimination from the Leagues Cup. This time, the NFL wasted no time in taking strict action.

The Context of Prescott and Carter

For Dak Prescott, entering his 10th season with the Cowboys under immense pressure after the departure of Micah Parsons, the scene only adds more noise in what could be a defining year for his career.

Carter, meanwhile, went from being a Super Bowl champion to the main character in the season’s first major scandal. His gesture tarnished his image and opened the debate on how harshly the NFL should punish such behavior.