Two-time Super Bowl champ wants Jalen Carter to serve a harsh punishment that could quickly put the Eagles in a hole
This is a bit too much.
The Jalen Carter-Dak Prescott spitting saga is the biggest storyline to come out of what was an exciting game until an unfortunate weather delay hit and caused everything to fall apart.
It’s easy to see why, too. People love drama, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Speaking of drama, though, one ESPN analyst and two-time Super Bowl champ is taking it a bit too far when it comes to Carter’s potential punishment from the NFL.
Anthony “Booger” McFarland tweeted Friday morning that Carter should be suspended for at least two games. Yes, spitting on someone is one of the most disgusting and disrespectful acts one human can do to another, but two games is quite the stretch whenever players have spat on each other in the past without any kind of suspension. There’s also the fact that Carter technically has already served a one-game suspension since he was ejected before taking a snap, so this demand would make it a three-game ordeal, at minimum.
A few years ago, Marcus Peters was fined when he spat on Jarvis Landry, but he certainly wasn’t suspended. Still, the NFL is looking into the matter, and the league is making it a point to crack down on violent/disrespectful behavior. We’ve seen the new rule regarding the usage of gun signage during celebrations and even the taunting penalty on Nolan Smith in the second quarter of last night’s game.
If the NFL does crack down and suspend Carter for two games (or more), it could easily put the Eagles in a big hole when looking at their upcoming schedule.
The Eagles play the Chiefs on the road and the Rams at home in Weeks 2 and 3
Per Sports Info Solutions, the Kansas City Chiefs fielded the 12th-best rushing attack in terms of EPA/attempt last year, and they should be just as good, if not better, in 2025 because of the return of a fully healthy Isiah Pacheco. And they have one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Andy Reid.
The Los Angeles Rams are obviously not slouches, either. Kyren Williams is one of the NFL’s best running backs, and Sean McVay knows how to scheme up an offense. As long as Matthew Stafford is healthy, the Rams are considered Super Bowl contenders, and of course, they’re an NFC opponent. So a loss in that regard would hurt later when talking about future playoff seeding.
It’s clear the Eagles’ defense isn’t the same without Carter on the field, and the Cowboys proved that. They were seen as one of the least-feared rushing attacks in the NFL coming into the 2025 season, despite Brian Schottenheimer’s reputation.
Cowboys running backs combined for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, with Javonte Williams gaining 44 of his 54 yards and averaging +5 rush yards over expected between the tackles. The success in the run game opened up the pass game, and if Ceedee Lamb could just hold onto the ball, well, we could be talking about an entirely different outcome than the Eagles’ 24-20 win.
The Chiefs and Rams are contenders. Without Carter, the Eagles could lose both games, and then their next two opponents are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road and the Denver Broncos in Philly — two more great offenses and teams people believe can have a big year. A 1-2 start would really put the defending champ’s backs against an early wall.
We’ll see what happens, but if “Booger” has his way, then the Eagles’ tough start certainly becomes exponentially harder without Carter.
