Welcome to the NFL, Abdul Carter. It only took 15 games, but the New York Giants rookie linebacker finally had his breakout moment. At last, the 2025 third-overall pick looked like the player Big Blue thought they were getting when they drafted him back in April.
Unfortunately, Carter’s rookie season has been defined more by off-the-field issues and subsequent on-field struggles than anything remotely positive -- and he has absolutely no one to blame but himself.
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He's taken ownership of his mistakes, and Big Blue Nation finally got a glimpse of what Carter can be moving forward against the Washington Commanders. The game itself was pretty miserable (shocker). They lost 29-to-21, moving their record to 2-12. However, the rookie's individual performance shouldn't be overlooked just because the team is hot garbage.
The 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year finished the game with one sack (sack fumble, no less), three tackles for loss, and seven overall tackles, forcing another fumble -- getting the recovery that time. It was his best performance by a mile. And it's also about time.
Giants rookie Abdul Carter silences critics with breakout performance
Carter's been taking tons of heat for his preparation concerns. He's been suspended by the team not once, but twice, for showing up late to meetings and sleeping through walkthroughs. It's unacceptable, and he knows he needs to grow up.
Before the game, interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen was asked about whether the rookie had been receiving the message on team responsibilities, to which he responded,
"He's [Abdul Carter] taken ownership publicly, in the building with his teammates and coaches. And then, honestly, just in terms of, like, pattern behavior, he's doing more. He's watching more film. He's coming in earlier and staying later. So the response is what I focus on. Everybody makes mistakes."
Well, if Sunday's performance is any indication, he's at least starting to figure it out.
Coming out of Penn State, the 22-year-old was widely considered the draft's best pass-rushing prospect since Micah Parsons. But Giants fans have little evidence that can back up that claim. Entering Week 15, the linebacker had 1.5 sacks and one tackle for loss.
That’s hardly what anyone expected this deep into the season.
The jokes about his struggles wrote themselves. Who would have thought putting in the work during the week would lead to on-field success?
Giants fans can only hope the immaturity and selfishness are gone. Because if this version of Abdul Carter sticks around, the Giants may finally have their defensive cornerstone for years to come.