New York Giants rookie linebacker Abdul Carter had an up-and-down season both on and off the field; some fans even said that if he can't get himself together, he needed to be traded. Now that may be a tad bit extreme, but being late to multiple team meetings and even dozing off in them left a bad taste in a lot of fans' mouths.
Being late should never be tolerated, especially as a rookie, no matter who you are. The 22-year-old started the season off with a bit of a bad reputation, showing immaturity in postgame interviews, but by season's end, Carter matured beyond our wildest dreams -- in more ways than one.
Carter spoke in front of the team after the game, and when talking to reporters following the regular season finale win against the Cowboys, he made a few comments about John Mara, the team, and the state of the franchise.
Abdul Carter says John Mara deserves more than late-season wins
Carter reacted to interim head coach Mike Kafka giving Mr. Mara the game ball, stating, “Giving that game ball to Mr. Mara is fine, but he deserves more. He would be much happier if we were in the playoffs.”
Abdul Carter talks about the end of the Giants' season and John Mara getting the game ball today:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 4, 2026
"Giving that game ball to Mr. Mara is fine, but he deserves more. This franchise, everybody deserves more. He would be much more happy if we were in the playoffs, having a winning… pic.twitter.com/A1HvVgMOzJ
Carter is absolutely correct. Mr. Mara was grateful for the game ball and would love nothing more than to watch the franchise return to its former glory, as would the organization and fanbase. It's been too long since we've seen the Giants we're used to, making deep playoff runs. In the past two years, the G-Men have only won seven games combined. It is definitely time turn this franchise around.
If not now, then when? Am I right?
The Penn State standout finished by stating, "Next year, we've got to come with a whole different mentality, make sure we're never in this position again."
Carter, we couldn't agree more, and if there's anything we can do to help, let us know.
Giants fans and players alike are hopeful that general manager Joe Schoen and management will nail the head coach hiring process and the Giants organization gets back to its' winning ways. One can only hope Carter continues to mature and is a leader in the team's change in mentality.