Nightcap | Deebo & Joe - REACTION to Eagles SURVIVING vs. Cowboys + Jalen Carter SPITTING on Dak Prescott

Podcast: Nightcap (iHeartPodcasts & Shay Shay Media)
Air Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: James "Deebo" Harrison & Joe Hayd

Episode Overview

In this engaging Nightcap episode, Deebo Harrison and Joe Hayd break down the Eagles' nail-biting win over the Cowboys, the shocking on-field spat between Jalen Carter and Dak Prescott, and offer their unfiltered reactions and stories from around the NFL. The duo dig deep into what spitting means on the football field, the psychological and strategic elements of the Eagles’ win, quarterback play rankings, locker room culture, and off-the-field NFL news—including player union politics, jersey number negotiations, retirements, and even a playful debate on hypothetical fights and Powerball dreams.

Main Theme

Raw, immediate, and veteran-player analysis of Week 1’s Philly-Dallas showdown—especially the controversial pregame moment when Jalen Carter spat on Dak Prescott—and what it means for team culture, league discipline, and the early NFL season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spitting Incident: Jalen Carter & Dak Prescott

• Description: Early drama as Jalen Carter spits on Dak Prescott before the coin toss.
• Player Code & Reactions:
  • Joe: “The most disrespectful thing in the world you could do, man, is spit on somebody. Like, if somebody was to spit on me, go ahead, get my bail money together. I’m going to jail.” (04:40)
  • Deebo: “That’s what I’m saying, like, the spit—I know you feel some type of way… He spit on my man’s upper chest plate slash Adam’s apple… That’s the craziest thing. I had to pause and look at it. Man, this is not normal.” (06:05, 06:20)
  • Both agree the Cowboys o-line must have missed it, or a brawl would have erupted: “That’s like an all-out brawl. You just canceled the first regular season game because this is not gonna stop.” (07:26)
• Debate—How should the league respond?
  • Joe: “Suspend this dude… at least six games. You gotta go ahead and make an example.” (09:30)
  • Deebo: “I would say for show, like, two. At least two games. At least two games.” (10:17)
  • Both concur: suspension is necessary, length up for debate.

2. Eagles Survive, Not Shine: Game Breakdown

• Low-Scoring, Sloppy Opener:
  • Deebo: “That’s what good teams do. You figure out a way to win the game. Jalen Hurts… 19 for 23, 152 yards… But end of the day, you want to get out of these games with wins. Watching tape on a win is way easier than on a loss.” (12:12)
  • Eagles’ offense was not firing, but “these are the games you just end up winning… Get out of stadiums with W’s and not L’s.” (12:12)
• Key Stat: Hurts picked up a career-high five first downs on scramble runs, including a game-clinching conversion. (15:31)
• Cowboys Missed Micah Parsons:
  • “That was something else… not having your guy in the middle there, that’s a lot different game.” (19:31)

3. Quarterback Ranking Talk: Jalen Hurts’ Place

• Jalen Hurts: Top 5?
  • Joe: “Would that be a correct assumption—you were impressed by [Hurts’] performance?”
  • Deebo: “A thousand percent… But I don’t know if he’s top five. He’s top ten for sure, probably six or seven… There’s a couple quarterbacks just more gifted throwing the football.” (16:00-17:15)
  • Joe agrees: “I can’t… feel comfortable saying top five of the quarterback [position]. What he can do at that position—yes. But being able to see what you see, get it there… That’s something [others] can do better.” (17:19)

4. Locker Room Culture and Player Switching Teams

• Micah Parsons’ Departure: Locker Room Dynamics
  • Debo: “That man is in Wisconsin. Ain’t nothing to do out there. Everybody’s at the facility getting, right, chilling, getting treatment for sure… It’s a different vibe than Dallas.” (25:56)
  • Joe: “He’s not taking a knock… He’s being exposed to something else… Sometimes you get a group of dudes that are in there together. As it went further—2012, 2013—it wasn’t the same… It used to be everybody.” (27:07-28:54)
  • Both hosts reflect on importance of veteran leadership for building locker-room camaraderie.

5. Player-Union (NFLPA) Politics & Critique

• 18-Game Season Inevitable?
  • Deebo: “Man, they tripping—they just trying to get more and more bag.”
  • Joe, skeptical of union leadership: “That is inevitable. The NFL is going to want [an 18-game season]... The NFLPA leadership dude is weak at every level. We need strong leadership.” (34:24, 38:59)
  • Joe reveals he wants to run for Executive Director of NFLPA; explains the need for player-focused leadership: “I know all the things that we’re going to… when football is done with you.” (39:20-43:10)

6. NFL News, Trades & Player Life

• Jersey Number Stories:

  • Deebo: “I had to buy 23 for 20 bands. As a rookie!” (47:28)
  • “I tried to give Mike Mitchell $200k for 23—he wouldn’t sell.” (47:36)
  • Joe: “In New England, a dude let me have 92 for $3,000… He blessed your boy.” (49:18)

• Do players overcharge for numbers?

  • Both hosts share horror (and comic) tales about pricing and negotiations; Malachi Corley’s million-dollar request for Devante Adams cited as “wild” (46:40).

• Retirements & Comebacks:

  • Amari Cooper reportedly changes mind after signing: “If he just signed a week ago, that means he didn’t do training camp… got into the grind, really was like, ah, I don’t love it. It’s about to be a whole season of this.” (53:38-54:25)
  • Joe’s personal struggle returning from retirement: “If it wasn’t for the fact that my daddy told me, you start, you finish what you start… My body hurtin’ so bad… My kids said yes, though. So I did it.” (56:50-58:30)

7. Legacies & Generations: The Tom Brady Debate

• Is Tom Brady a 'generational talent'?
  • Joe finds RC’s TV statement nonsensical: “This can’t be right… If I’m talking about… all the intangibles—I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s gonna be Tom Brady.” (51:06-52:44)
  • Deebo: “He gonna walk you down the field and win.” (52:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Spitting and NFL Conduct:

  • Joe: “If somebody was to spit on me… go ahead, get my bail money together.” (04:40)
  • Deebo: “You hit that man here—full blown, directly… Spit is not. That's not cool… That’s just foul.” (09:16, 09:55)

• On Locker Room Culture:

  • Joe: “It used to be everybody… offensive, defensive. Then it was little groups… When you build that, it’s special.” (27:38-28:54)
  • Deebo: “You want to help people out. Like, you’ve been in the situation… You looking out for the next generation.” (42:00-43:10)

• Jersey Number Haggling:

  • Deebo: “Mike kept the 23. My rookie year, I had 21. Ended up buying it off Rob G for the 20 bands… He was ecstatic.” (47:28-48:35)
  • Joe: “In New England… He said, three grand. I wasn’t gonna pay much… I wasn’t gonna pay much.” (49:39-50:11)

• On Amari Cooper’s Retirement:

  • Deebo: “NFL is not a game. It’s not… Oh, yeah, I’m gonna just jump in on there and play with these dudes. No, you’re gonna get hurt. You’re gonna get smacked out there.” (53:38-54:25)

• On the Hypothetical Fight Between Hosts:

  • Deebo (about Chad “Ochocinco”): “He don’t got no combat… background like me. Hell…” (64:53-65:13)
  • Joe: “That man spit on me, it ain’t a rule in this world that’s gonna stop me from trying to kill his ass.” [Laughs] (65:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Spitgate: Carter vs. Prescott, player code, and suspensions
  [04:40] – [11:35]
• Eagles' win breakdown, Hurts’ performance, and early takeaways
  [12:12] – [18:30]
• Is Hurts a top 5 QB?
  [15:53] – [18:30]
• Micah Parsons’ new locker room, team culture nostalgia
  [25:56] – [28:54]
• NFLPA credibility, 18-game debate, and Joe’s campaign for Exec Dir
  [34:08] – [43:39]
• Jersey number stories & price inflation
  [46:37] – [51:06]
• Tom Brady/Brees/Manning “generational” debate
  [51:06] – [52:44]
• Player retirements & comebacks (Amari Cooper, Joe’s return)
  [53:04] – [59:54]
• End show banter: workouts, family, Powerball, fighting Chad
  [61:09] – [65:44]

Tone and Style Highlights

• Authentic and Unfiltered:
  Both hosts speak with directness, sometimes raw language, and a playful, competitive energy. They blend storytelling and hard-nosed football wisdom into entertaining, streetwise sports talk.

• Playful Banter:
  Segments on buying jersey numbers, the fantasy of fighting each other, and Powerball number selection show the relaxed, humorous chemistry between Deebo and Joe.

For listeners short on time:
This episode delivers real locker room insight, sharp banter, and the kind of veteran football perspective that doesn’t hold back—a must-listen (or read) for anyone trying to understand both the physical and cultural realities of the NFL, especially after a fiery season opener like Eagles vs. Cowboys.