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Abdul Carter received a rude awakening on Sunday when the New York Giants sidelined him for their first defensive series against the Green Bay Packers.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka said it was a coach’s decision, leading to speculation about a possible punishment. Kafka added that he wanted to “keep the rest of it in-house,” and Carter himself told reporters that he had done something wrong in the week leading up to the game.
Sure enough, it turns out it was punishment for missing a team tour while sleeping at the team facility, according to multiple reports.
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New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter prepares for a play during a game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The Athletic also reported that Carter had been “late to meetings” and that former head coach Brian Daboll was letting him “slide.” Daboll was fired last week after the Giants blew their third double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of the season.
Carter, however, denied those reports Tuesday. The rookie said he made an “honest mistake” by not noticing a change in normal practice schedules after Kafka was named interim head coach, so he was receiving treatment instead. However, he stated that he was not asleep.
“My mistake was an honest mistake,” Carter told ESPN on Tuesday. “I acknowledge the fact that it was an honest mistake. I was receiving treatment and I told Coach Kafka as well. But saying I was sleeping at that time was simply not true. And it wasn’t a trend either. This was the only time it happened.”
Carter was the third overall pick out of Penn State last April, but quickly drew the ire of the Big Blue faithful when he asked Lawrence Taylor if he could wear his famous number 56; LT refused.
New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter (51) reacts to a play against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Rich Barnes/Image Images)
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Carter then asked Phil Simms for permission to wear No. 11, the same number he wore at Penn State and a badge of honor for the Nittany Lions. Simms agreed, but his family did not agree, and Carter’s wish was ultimately denied. Finally he decided on number 51.
To make matters worse, in 11 games, Carter has only half a sack. However, his 17% pass-rush win rate is the 16th-best mark in the league, one spot behind teammate Brian Burns, who has 13 of the Giants’ 22 total sacks. Burns’ 13 sacks are two behind Myles Garrett for the league lead.
That shows that a market correction is on the cards for Carter, but it’s becoming clear that he needs to start posting real stats quickly before he gets on the fans’ bad side.
New York Giants first-round draft picks Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart pose for photos before the start of the press conference. (Thomas Salus/Image Images)
With Jameis Winston in charge due to Jaxson Dart’s concussion, New York fell to the Packers, 27-20, to move to 2-9 on the season.
