Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was noticeably absent at the start of Monday night’s game, and we now know why.
Carter started in Week 1, but he was not on the field for the Eagles’ first defensive series against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Carter was disciplined by Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni for being late to a team-related event during the week.
#Eagles DT Jalen Carter didn’t start or play in the first defensive series against the Falcons because he was late for something team-related last week, NFL sources told The Inquirer.
Carter was on the field for the second series and, overall, played 46 of 61 snaps on defense —…
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) September 17, 2024
Carter still wound up playing on 46 of 61 defensive snaps. His absence at the start of the game did not hurt the Eagles, who forced a punt on Atlanta’s first drive. Carter finished with just one assisted tackle.
The Eagles drafted Carter with the 9th overall pick out of Georgia last year. He went lower in the draft than anticipated because of character concerns.
The Falcons pulled off a 22-21 upset over the Eagles with a game-winning touchdown drive from Kirk Cousins. Philadelphia likely would have won if not for a costly mistake late in the fourth quarter.
