Giants Rookie Abdul Carter Benched Again, but Shows Flash of Promise
Abdul Carter’s NFL journey hit another bump Monday night-but not before he reminded everyone why he was a top-three pick in the 2025 draft.
For the second time in three weeks, the New York Giants rookie edge rusher started a game on the bench due to disciplinary reasons. This time, it was reportedly because he was late to a team meeting ahead of the Giants’ clash with the New England Patriots.
When the defense took the field to open the game, the No. 3 overall pick was noticeably absent. But Carter didn’t stay sidelined for long.
He entered in the second quarter-and made an immediate impact, notching his first career sack by bringing down rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
It was a flash of the disruptive talent that made Carter one of the most coveted defensive players in this year’s draft. But it also came under the shadow of another off-field hiccup.
Back in Week 11 against Green Bay, Carter was also held out of the opening series. That time, the issue was reportedly tied to him missing a walkthrough.
Carter pushed back on that narrative, saying it wasn’t a case of oversleeping but a misunderstanding caused by a change in the team schedule. According to Carter, he was receiving treatment during the walkthrough and had communicated that to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
“My mistake was an honest mistake,” Carter told ESPN. “I own the fact that it was an honest mistake.
I was getting treatment and I told Coach Kafka that, too. But to say I was sleeping at that time just wasn’t true.
And it also wasn’t a trend. This was the only time it happened.”
Through 12 games this season-including just two starts-Carter has managed to make his presence felt. He’s logged 27 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, and one fumble recovery. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but for a rookie still finding his footing in the league-and his place in the Giants’ defensive rotation-they hint at the potential that made him such a high draft pick.
Carter came into the league with a dominant college résumé. At Penn State, he racked up 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in his final season-marks no FBS player had hit in the same year since Will Anderson Jr. did it back in 2021. That performance helped Carter become just the third Penn State defender ever selected in the top three of the common draft era.
The Giants knew they were getting a high-motor, high-upside pass rusher. What they didn’t expect, perhaps, were these early growing pains. But that’s part of the rookie curve-especially for players stepping into the pressure cooker that is New York football.
Carter’s situation is worth watching. The talent is clearly there.
The question is whether he can stay locked in and earn the trust of the coaching staff week to week. Monday night showed both sides of the coin: a player still learning the ropes, but also one capable of game-changing plays when he’s on the field.
For now, the Giants will hope that Carter’s sack of Maye is a sign of things to come-and that the off-field issues are firmly in the rearview.