Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Jaguars defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. were thrown out of Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before a single scrimmage snap, disqualified for fighting after a chaotic opening kickoff in London.
The ejections cost Philadelphia a starting linebacker for almost the entire game and took a reserve pass rusher away from Jacksonville, in a matchup the Eagles entered at 2-2 after back-to-back losses.
A touchdown erased, then a fight
Josh Cameron, the Jaguars’ rookie returner, carried the opening kickoff all the way to the end zone, but flags on both sides cancelled the score: Philadelphia was penalized for an illegal formation and Jacksonville for holding, so the kick had to be redone. While the play was still being sorted out near midfield, Trotter and Thomas tangled with each other. The television broadcast did not catch how it started; replays showed the two grappling downfield before Trotter put Thomas on the ground.
Officials flagged both players, those fouls offset as well, and both were disqualified. Mike Garafolo noted the family echo: Trotter’s father, the former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, was once ejected for fighting during pregame warmups.
Jeremiah Trotter once got thrown out for fighting in pregame.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. just got tossed after the opening kickoff.
Bryan Thomas Jr. tossed for the #Jaguars.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 11, 2026
The Jacksonville player involved is the defensive end, not wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who stayed in the game.
How the game has gone since
Jacksonville struck first when Trevor Lawrence found Parker Washington for a 51-yard touchdown with 5:26 left in the first quarter. Philadelphia answered on Will Shipley’s 2-yard run with 8:46 to go in the second quarter, and the teams were level at 7-7 midway through the second period. The live score is in the Game Center.
The Eagles were already short-handed. Running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith were inactive with hamstring injuries, and Philadelphia is carrying the retired Lane Johnson on its 53-man roster, leaving one fewer player available. Trotter has been a regular starter on defense this season, so his snaps will have to be absorbed by the reserves behind him.
Any further discipline, including fines, would come from the league’s weekly review.
What comes next
The Eagles host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The Jaguars, who started the day 3-1, face the Houston Texans the same day at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
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