Jason Kelce, former Philadelphia Eagles star, has found himself embroiled in controversy following an altercation between Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Eagles defensive player Jalen Carter during their recent matchup.
Before the game even kicked off on Thursday night, Jalen Carter was ejected after spitting at Prescott, a decision that significantly impacted the Eagles given Carter’s status as one of the league’s top defensive talents.
In a postgame interview, Carter accepted responsibility for his actions, expressing regret for the incident.
“It was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again,” Carter said.
He added, “I feel bad for my teammates and the fans out there. I’m doing it for them. … It won’t happen again. I can make that promise.”
Despite Carter’s accountability, Jason Kelce took to social media to defend him, suggesting instead that Prescott played a role in instigating the situation.
Late Thursday night, NBC shared footage of Prescott allegedly spitting on the ground near Carter, which Kelce reposted with the caption: “And the truth shall set you free.”
This defense, however, did not resonate well with NFL fans, many of whom criticized Kelce’s stance.
Most replies to his post pointed out the absurdity of comparing Prescott’s actions to those of Carter.
“Spitting on someone and spitting on the ground is 2 different things,” former NFL offensive lineman Jon Feliciano remarked.
Bobby Belt, a Cowboys reporter, highlighted the clear distinction: “This is either intellectually dishonest or intellectually limited. I don’t know which. Dak is spitting at the ground. Tyler Booker is between him and Jalen Carter. Carter was six inches away and spat on him. This is comparing coughing around someone and coughing on someone.”
Another fan echoed this sentiment: “Dak spit on the ground because he’s not an idiot. Jalen Carter spit on Dak because he’s a complete idiot. Glad we can clear that truth up.”
The criticisms continued, with one user saying, “Crazy work to go to bat for your former teammate when they do something stupid right on front of the ref but here we are.”
A comment from a Taylor Swift fan added, “Jason always does some dumb stuff to defend these losers.”
Post-game, Prescott addressed the incident, explaining his perspective on what transpired between him and Carter.
“He was trolling, I guess you could say, trying to mess with Tyler Booker. I was just looking at him,” Prescott recounted.
He continued, “I was right here by the two linemen, and I guess I needed to spit, and I wasn’t going to spit on my lineman and I just spit ahead. … And he goes, ‘Are you trying to spit on me?’ At that point, I felt like he was insulting me. I wouldn’t spit on somebody. ‘I’m damn sure I’m not trying to spit on you.’ We’re about to play a game. … ‘What would I need to spit on you for?’ He just spit on me in that moment; it was more of a surprise than anything.”
As the fallout continues from this heated moment, the NFL has yet to announce any disciplinary action against Jalen Carter.
Earlier this year, the league indicated a commitment to cracking down on violent gestures, and spitting at an opponent likely falls under this new policy.
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