Giants' Abdul Carter Faces Consequences for Tardiness
New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter found himself on the sidelines for the first quarter of the team's 33-15 defeat against the New England Patriots on December 1, a decision made by interim head coach Mike Kafka due to Carter's late arrival at a team activity.
When questioned about his second disciplinary action in three weeks, the 22-year-old Carter responded, “S*** happens. I’m not going to get into details. S*** happens.”
This latest benching follows a similar incident two weeks prior, when Kafka opted to keep Carter off the field for the opening drive of a 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers after he missed a pregame walkthrough.
Reflecting on that earlier mistake, Carter acknowledged, “I made a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team. That was the consequence of it. Got to live with it.”
After Monday's game, Kafka emphasized that the decision to bench Carter was solely his own. “Listen, when he came back in the game, you saw the kind of impact he had and the player this guy is,” he stated. “This is a kid that I, again, I back. I support this kid highly.”
Carter, a rookie from Penn State and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has shown promise on the field, having recorded 31 tackles this season. However, he admitted that managing off-field responsibilities has posed challenges. “I’m not going to use that as an excuse,” he said. “I have to be better. I have to take pride in what I do, be where I have to be at. Simple as that.”
By the time Carter entered the game against the Patriots, the Giants were already down 17-0 after missing his first three drives. “I let my team down [Monday night],” he acknowledged. “I take responsibility for that. I have to do better.”
With Carter sidelined, his teammates felt the impact. Sixth-year nose tackle Dexter Lawrence expressed frustration over the situation. “But you got to stay on [young players], and you got to help them learn from these mistakes,” Lawrence noted. “We’ve all been late. We’ve all had moments like that. But you just got to learn from them.”
Lawrence further described Carter as “hardheaded,” acknowledging that while the schedule can be challenging, professionalism is key: “You got to be a pro and know where you got to be and when you got to be there.”
Defensive captain Brian Burns expressed optimism regarding Carter's growth from this experience, stating, “I think it got through. I think it was just an honest mistake.”
The Giants currently sit at 2-11 for the season and have been eliminated from playoff contention with four games remaining. They will take a break during their bye week before returning to action on December 14 against the Washington Commanders.
