The 2025 NFL season got off to a spirited start in the City of Brotherly Love as the Dallas Cowboys pushed reigning champions Philadelphia hard before the Eagles emerged with the win, but all most people will remember is the start of the game.

The brawl — as that is what is was on several occasions during the night the Eagles raised their second Super Bowl banner in front of their hated rivals — began with just six seconds off the clock. While Philly linebacker Ben VanSumeren was receiving treatment (and ultimately, awaiting the cart) after being injured on the opening kickoff, talismanic lineman Jalen Carter was prowling close to the Dallas huddle, entirely separate from his own team-mates.

Carter’s proximity prompted Cowboys QB Dak Carter to object, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his own linemen as he did so. Carter, unperturbed, decided to stand toe-to-toe with Prescott and, after words were exchanged, spat on the quarterback’s jersey.

His biggest mistake, if the act of expectorating wasn’t egregious enough, was to do it in full view of the officiating crew, who had no hesitation in calling unsportsmanlike conduct, issuing a 15-yard penalty — and ejecting Carter from the game before he had even taken a snap…

With other key figures now gone from the defense that dismantled Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX, Carter was seen as a key to continuing to dominate the Cowboys, and his absence was immediately apparent as Dallas traversed the field and scored touchdowns on their opening two drives. Fortunately for the Eagles, Jalen Hurts responded in kind and, when Saquon Barkley’s second quarter score was only countered by a Brandon Aubrey field goal, the home side had the advantage that would see them through a tense weather-interrupted second half.

While Carter later admitted that he can’t make errors of judgement like he did, extended replays showed that the third-year player wasn’t entirely alone, as Prescott spat first, albeit in far less controversial circumstances, as the QB openly admitted after the game.

“I was just looking at him and I was right here, in between two linemen,” Prescott explained. “I guess I needed to spit, and I wasn’t going to spit on my linemen, so I just spit ahead. He asked, ‘Are you trying to spit on me?’ and, at that point, I felt like he was insulting me.

“I wouldn’t spit on anybody, and I’m damn sure not trying to spit on you. We’re trying to play a game and I’m wondering why you’re trying to mess with the rookie [offensive lineman Tyler Booker], so I step through and say the words, ‘Why the hell’ — or probably something even more colourful — but, ‘Why would I spit on you for?’.

“He just spit on me in that moment, and it was more of a surprise than anything. The refs obviously saw it and threw a flag. I was like, ‘Hell yeah, we get 15 yards to start the game off’, but I didn’t realise he was getting ejected. Unfortunate that he did, as he’s a hell of a player.”

The Cowboys had made it clear in pre-game meetings that stopping Carter was paramount to offensive success, even if Booker was going to lined up across from the Pro Bowler, and Prescott agreed that the ejection — which Eagles fans will undoubtedly feel was one-sided — made life easier for him and his unit.

“It changed our plan and our blocking scheme,” he revealed. “As I told you right before the week, we were going to protect against him, so it helped in that manner — but I don’t wish for anybody to get out of the game. I’m sure he probably regrets that to some extent. I’m pretty sure he knows I wasn’t trying to spit on him, or was even aiming to spit on him. So, it’s something that’s probably going to get a lot of coverage and a lot of attention. And I feel sorry for him, in the sense of I know how excited each and every one of us are to kick off the season in the season opener and helluva player like that doesn’t even get a chance on the first play.”

The NFL will inevitably review the incident and determine whether any additional discipline is required, but spitting usually lead to fines, rather than players being suspended.

“If I get that text or that call and have that conversation, we will handle it,” Carter told reporters after the game. “It was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again. I feel bad for my team-mates and the fans out there. You know, I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for my family also, but the fans… they show the most love. You heard them out there and not being able to start the game to finish the game just f***s me up. It won’t happen again.”