NFL creates new standard for spitting punishment

The NFL found a way to have its cake and spit on it, too.

By suspending Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, but not really suspending him, for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott at the outset of Thursday night's season-opening game, the league crafted a middle ground that - thanks to semantics - has created a new standard that will make it easier to suspend players for spitting in the future.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the outcome was the result of discussions between the NFL, the NFL Players Association, and Carter's agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Carter will not be appealing the punishment, which means that there will be no argument that the de facto suspension breaks from past precedent. While setting a new precedent.

The question becomes whether, in the future, the league will deem partial participation in a game before a spitting ejection as sufficient to justify a non-suspension suspension. Will the dividing line be the end of the first quarter? The end of the first half?

Then there's the possibility that a spit will be missed by the officials during a given game. If that happens, a suspension without pay for the next game becomes the logical conclusion.

Thus, while a fine in the amount of one game check was always the right solution for Carter, the semantics have washed away years of precedent that spitting results in a fine, and only a fine.