Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter not only made waves on social media for his hilariously egregious flop caught on camera during Philadelphia’s 31-17 win over the Dolphins on Sunday night, but also for how he invoked LeBron James when explaining himself to reporters after the game.
The TV broadcast showed Carter dramatically falling backwards and flailing his arms following a brief post-whistle scuffle with Dolphins offensive tackle Austin Jackson. Both Carter and Jackson were flagged for offsetting penalties due to the incident.
When asked about his obvious flop later, Carter told reporters he was “just thinking about LeBron,” via the Philadelphia Inquirer.
It’s a surprising swipe at the basketball icon from the star Eagles rookie, though James does have a reputation for exaggerating contact and complaining to referees. That said, pretty much every notable NBA player of his generation does the same thing.
Carter, meanwhile, has lived up to his hype as one of the top 2023 NFL Draft prospects coming out of Georgia after becoming a star on the Bulldogs’ ferocious defense that helped them to back-to-back national titles.
[NFL top-10 rankings: Chiefs hold top spot; Eagles, Ravens rise; Dolphins, Lions fall]
He has an impressive 91.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus so far this season, and ranks among the top five in NFL sacks and forced fumble leaderboards. He was a big reason the Eagles defense was able to hold Miami’s dynamic rushing attack to a season-low 45 yards on just 12 attempts in the impressive victory over what had been the NFL’s best offense and one of its best overall teams over the first six weeks of the 2023 season.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles hold off Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
James, meanwhile, is gearing up to begin his 21st NBA season Tuesday as he aims to lead the Los Angeles Lakers back to another championship.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
