Officials let Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter avoid a possible ejection — or, at the very least, a personal foul — against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The NFL likely won’t be as kind.
“He’ll probably hear from the league on that one,” MNF color commentator and former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said on Monday night. “We haven’t really mentioned Jalen Carter’s name tonight unless he took a swing at somebody.”
Carter’s tiff with Cowboys tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford came late in the third quarter, on a drive that ended with Dallas scoring a touchdown and taking a 28-21 lead, and saw Carter land two open-hand punches to Spann-Ford’s face.
“Jalen Carter just got away with PUNCHING SPANN-FORD TWICE,” Skip Bayless wrote on his official X account on Monday night. “How could refs miss that? Should’ve been ejected!”
“Jalen Carter seems frustrated,” NFL reporter Armando Salguero wrote on his official X account, along with the video clip of Carter’s punches.
“Jalen Carter smacks BSF in the face after the play and No Penalty flag????” The Landry Formation wrote on X.
Jalen Carter’s Infamous History Against Cowboys
Carter is no stranger to ugly incidents against the Cowboys — he was ejected from the 2025 regular-season opener against Dallas after spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first offensive snap.
The NFL’s punishment for Carter, widely regarded as one of the game’s dominant defensive players, wasn’t a suspension but a $57,000 fine. The NFL also said being ejected so early in the game was essentially a one-game suspension.
After Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren sat down with an injury after the opening kickoff, Carter walked up to Prescott and, after a brief exchange, spat on Prescott’s chest. Carter was immediately ejected from the game — just 6 seconds into the regular season.
“NFL is fining Eagles DT Jalen Carter $57,222 for spitting on Dak Prescott,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on September 30, 2025. “The league also says the game he was ejected for will serve as a one-game suspension. After talking to the Eagles, the NFL and the NFLPA, Jalen has decided not to appeal and focus on the Chiefs game,’ said Carter’s agent Drew Rosenhaus … Jalen Carter makes $57,222 per week, which is how the NFL arrived at the fine it did.”
Unusual Clause in Jalen Carter’s Contract
The Eagles made Carter the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history via a 4-year, $152 million contract extension before the regular season.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Eagles included a clause in Carter’s contract that pays him an extra $250,000 per year — a total of $1 million — if he keeps his weight down.
“After signing defensive tackle Jalen Carter to a record-setting deal, Eagles G.M. Howie Roseman said he has no off-field concerns about the player,” Florio wrote on July 30. “Based on the contract details, the team has at least one … while $250,000 represents a relatively small piece of Carter’s financial puzzle, the issue was significant enough for the Eagles to bargain for a specific incentive for Carter to keep his weight under a specific maximum. The term is an unusual one. Over the years, we’ve broken down many veteran contracts. Not many include a weight bonus.”
Eagles DT Jalen Carter Throws Punches at Cowboys TE