NFL Announces Suspension for Eagles DT Jalen Carter After Tackling Spencer Brown in the Head, Gouging His Eyes, and Making a Throat-Slashing Gesture During the Game — Calling the Actions “More Disgusting Than Spitting”
BUFFALO, NY
For Buffalo Bills fans, December 29, 2025, at Highmark Stadium will remain a defining night that went beyond the final score.
It was a game in which competition crossed a boundary, prompting serious questions about player safety and accountability.
The NFL has officially suspended Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter following a review of a disturbing sequence during the Week 17 matchup against the Bills.
According to the league’s findings, Carter deliberately slapped Buffalo offensive tackle Spencer Brown, made contact with his eyes, and followed the exchange with a throat-slashing gesture.
🚨🚨DISGUSTING PLAY🚨🚨#EAGLES STAR JALEN CARTER SLAPPED A #BILLS TACKLE IN THE HEAD, GOUGED HIS EYE, AND SLASHED HIS THROAT.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 29, 2025
😳😳😳
This was brutal to watch. No penalty flag was thrown on the play.
pic.twitter.com/kcszW0vWA3
The NFL described the actions as “disgusting, threatening, and far beyond the boundaries of acceptable play.” than previously condemned unsportsmanlike acts, including Carter’s earlier spitting incident during the Eagles’ matchup against the
Dallas Cowboys earlier this season.
For many in Buffalo, the decision was not about retaliation or vindication.
It was about acknowledgment from the league that what occurred on the field was serious and unacceptable.
The incident took place in the second half of a tightly contested game shaped by playoff implications and harsh winter conditions.
Each snap carried added weight, and physical play intensified as the night wore on.
During what should have been a routine defensive rush, Carter and Brown engaged at the line of scrimmage.
Rather than ending with standard hand fighting and separation, the encounter escalated.
Subsequent slow-motion review showed Carter’s hand rising toward Brown’s face and helmet in a manner the league determined to be intentional rather than incidental.
The sequence concluded with a clearly visible throat-slashing gesture.
No penalty flag was thrown on the play, and the game continued without interruption or explanation.
Inside Highmark Stadium, however, the atmosphere shifted.
The reaction from the crowd was not centered on a hard hit or physical football, but on disbelief that such actions had gone unaddressed in real time.
The full scope of the situation became clear only after the game ended.
Following postgame medical evaluations, the NFL confirmed that Brown experienced blurred vision in one eye, as well as breathing difficulty and throat irritation.
While the symptoms were not career-threatening, the league noted that eye-gouging and contact to the throat are inherently dangerous and can cause severe or irreversible harm in a matter of seconds.
Those medical findings reframed the incident for many observers.
The issue was no longer about trash talk or officials allowing physical play, but about a direct risk to player safety.
Tensions carried beyond the field after the final whistle.
In the tunnel leading to the locker rooms, Brown confronted multiple Eagles players.
Voices were raised, tempers flared, and security personnel intervened to prevent further escalation.
The NFL later stated that the continuation of hostilities off the field, combined with the on-field conduct, factored directly into the severity of Carter’s suspension.
In its disciplinary statement, the NFL wrote:
“Actions such as slapping, eye-gouging, and gestures threatening life have no place in this sport.
This represents a level of severity exceeding even the most strongly condemned examples of unsportsmanlike behavior.”
The league also emphasized that “the absence of an in-game penalty does not absolve a player of responsibility after the fact.”
Philadelphia ultimately left Buffalo with a narrow victory, while the Bills were left to process an incident that lingered well beyond the final possession.
Carter’s suspension does not alter the standings or reverse the outcome of the game.
For many Bills fans, however, it restored a sense of principle.
Buffalo has long embraced a reputation for physical football, but not for crossing lines that endanger opponents.
With this ruling, the NFL made clear that not every collision can be justified by intensity or competition.
The league’s decision draws a firm boundary.
While football can be brutal and conditions in Buffalo unforgiving, the safety and dignity of players are non-negotiable.
This time, the NFL stated that position plainly and on the record.
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