Jalen Carter awaits discipline amid NFL's emphasis on sportsmanship - ESPN

As the Philadelphia Eagles await any further discipline for standout defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a speech from the spring could be instructive as to where the NFL might end up.

At the owner's meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent told head coaches, general managers and executives gathered in one room that sportsmanship posed one of the biggest threats to the league's brand.

During that meeting, Vincent warned coaches, GMs and executives that there would be, as one source recalled, «zero tolerance for acts that demean the game,» and that the league would come down hard on any violators.

The NFL now is mulling what discipline to impose on Carter, who was ejected from Thursday night's season opener for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first play from scrimmage.

At the very least, Carter will face a substantial fine, and he could also be suspended, sources told ESPN. A decision by the NFL is expected Monday, according to sources, as the Eagles return to work and get ready for a Super Bowl rematch in Kansas City next Sunday against the Chiefs.

Sportsmanship is hardly the NFL's only point of emphasis from this past offseason. The league also is vowing to crack down on player celebrations that involve violent gestures or are sexually suggestive in nature. The NFL saw too much of it last year, and it will be flagged more frequently this season.

After the opening kickoff Thursday, there was an injury delay for Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren, who remained on the ground for several minutes. During that time, Carter and Prescott got face-to-face, and Carter spit on Prescott as the two began to separate.

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