The first game of the 2025 NFL season was barely a minute old, when Jalen Carter from the Philadelphia Eagles caused a scandal: he spit on the eyes of the referees in front of the referees and was consequently immediately referred to the field. However, it was not the first time that such incidents occurred in the NFL.
What leads to immediate dismissal in almost every sports league is no different in the NFL either. Accordingly, the exclusion of Jalen Carter, the defensive tackle of the Philadelphia Eagles, was correspondingly according to his spit attack to DAK Prescott.
As usual in the NFL, a fine should be expected afterwards, and there is also also a lock in the room.
Opinions differ: some in Carter’s spit only a – albeit exaggerated – reaction to Prescott’s spit in previous spit on the ground. Others like ran-Autor Kai Esser, on the other hand, emphasize that Carter is repeatedly rising to emotional outbreaks and should therefore be closed as an example for a long time.
Carter was not the first spitting of the NFL.
So expensive spit attacks in the NFL were so expensive
In 1997, Denver Broncos Linacker Bill Romanowski was fined with a fine of $ 7,500 because he spit San Francisco 49ers receiver JJ Stokes in the face. In addition, Romanowski received a “clearly formulated letter” of the NFL.
In 1998, Tampa Bay Buccans-Linacker Hardy Nickerson had to pay a fine of $ 7,500 after he spat on Carolina Panthers runningback William Floyd. Although he was punished in retrospect, it was not expelled from the field.
In the 2005 playoffs, Washington-Safety Sean Taylor was fined $ 17,000-in the amount of his Gamechecke-because he had spit Buccaners Runningback Michael Pittman in the face. Taylor was also expelled from the game.
In 2006, Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens received a fine of $ 35,000 because he had spit at Atlanta Falcons-Cornerback Dangelo Hall. Hall called for a lock for Owens, but it was not imposed.
The most recent event took place in 2020: Baltimore Ravens-Cornerback Marcus Peters was fined $ 12,500 because he spat on Cleveland Browns-Receiver Jarvis Landry.
A look at the previous punishments shows that spitting in the NFL has never led to a lock. Therefore, a suspension for Carter is rather unlikely, even if the league could put an example on it.
Also interesting: NFL 2025: The betting odds for the Rookie of the Year offensive
