Jalen Carter shocked the NFL world almost immediately.
Before the Philadelphia Eagles' star defensive tackle got to play his first snap of the season, he got involved in a heated exchange with Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. And Carter ended it by spitting on Prescott.
It resulted in a disqualification for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, an ejection that left the Eagles without their best defensive player for the entirety of their season opener.
The ejection essentially served as a one-game suspension before the NFL league office could even get involved. But could there be more?
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Will Jalen Carter be suspended?
There's still a chance that Jalen Carter is suspended beyond just missing the entirety of the season opener after being ejected before his first play.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio broke it down in a new article Thursday night:
"One factor will be, we’re told, the manner in which Carter handles the situation after the game. If he’s anything other than fully contrite, the league may decide to send a message stronger than the de facto one-game suspension Carter received by being sent to the showers without playing a single play. As one source pointed out to PFT, the most talked-about topic of the offseason with clubs and players was 'respect for the opponent.' For Carter to display the ultimate disrespect to an opponent before the first game of the season has even really begun, the league may decide that something more than an ejection is needed to send the right message to Carter — and to the rest of the league."
The NFL might decide to make a further example out of Carter. On the season's big opening stage, right away, Carter gave a bad look for the league.
There could be more to come on this on Friday at some point.
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