Carter confronted the Cowboys quarterback before the first play of the opening night of the game.

Just one play into Thursday’s opening game of the 2025 NFL season between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was no longer available to play — not because of injury, but because of, apparently, spit.

During a break in play after Thursday’s opening kickoff, as Philadelphia’s medical personnel tended to an injured player, cameras caught Carter approaching the Cowboys’ huddle. Face mask-to-face mask with Dak Prescott, Carter appeared to spit on the Dallas quarterback.

Officials quickly called an unsportsmanlike penalty on Carter, ejecting him before he ever played a snap. An Eagles staffer escorted him to the locker room.

Left unanswered during the first half was what prompted Carter’s decision. Later in the game, however, footage emerged showing that Prescott had spit first in Carter’s direction, aimed toward the turf.

Prescott said he simply spit straight ahead as he usually would, only for the saliva to land in the area near Carter, which raised the ire of the defenseman.

Prescott said Carter asked, “You trying to spit on me?”

“He was insulting me,” Prescott said. “I wouldn’t spit on somebody. I’m definitely not trying to spit on you. We’re about to play a game.”

Carter apologized after the game.

“It was a mistake that happened on my side. It won’t happen again,” Carter said. “I feel bad for just my teammates and fans out there. I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for my family, also. But the fans, they showed the most love.”

Losing Carter left a 300-pound hole in the defensive line. Though Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts earned a Wheaties box appearance for his play last season, and Saquon Barkley produced a season like few other running backs in history, Carter was the underrated star of the championship season because of the wrecking-ball pressure he could apply all by himself. He was at his best during the postseason, including during the Super Bowl, when the Eagles harassed Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes despite never calling a blitz.

Carter’s ejection was compounded by other losses to the line in the offseason. Defensive tackle Milton Williams left for New England, while pass rusher Josh Sweat departed for Arizona.

Those departures placed an even bigger spotlight on Carter to produce this season. Now, how he’ll fare won’t be known until Week 2.