The New York Giants got no favors from the schedule makers in 2025—or so many believe. With the league’s toughest strength of schedule and 10 matchups against 2024 playoff teams, this season is going to be a gauntlet from the jump. And that jump happens in Week 1 when Big Blue travels to the nation’s capital to take on the 2024 NFC runner-up Washington Commanders.
Washington is building fast around second-year phenom Jayden Daniels, who’s already looking like a franchise cornerstone and then some. In the draft, the Commanders added Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. late in the first round—an athletic, polished protector brought in to keep Daniels upright.
He'll likely line up opposite of recently acquired Laremy Tunsil from Houston. Their O-line should be better, but the Giants might have drafted the perfect counter to go along with their exciting defensive line.
Enter Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter.
The No. 3 overall pick comes into the league with sky-high expectations as the future face of the Giants’ pass rush. He’s explosive. He’s versatile. And according to Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson, he’s already set for one of the most exciting rookie matchups of the first half of the season.
Abdul Carter vs. Josh Conerly Jr. headlines Giants vs. Commanders in Week 1
In Parson’s latest feature highlighting the best rookie-versus-rookie battles in the first half of the 2025 season, he zeroed in on the Week 1 NFC East clash in D.C., writing:
"Last season, they [Carter and Conerly Jr.] faced off in the Big Ten championship game. Conerly pitched a shutout by not allowing a single sack, quarterback hit, pressure or hurry. He was able to match Carter’s speed and explosiveness around the arc," he said.
"If they face off in one-on-one pass-blocking situations, Carter will need to exploit Conerly’s lack of brute strength as a counter to his speed rush. This matchup could help swing the momentum of the game.”
In other words, it’s full-on redemption time for Mr. Carter.
Carter got blanked in their last meeting. But this isn’t college anymore. We're talking about the pros. This is a different ballgame entirely, with different stakes.
The G-Men desperately need to make a statement in Week 1—not just to the Commanders, but to themselves and the fans. This season has every opportunity to get away from them quickly, so starting off strong is imperative. So if Carter’s going to be that Day 1 difference-maker fans are hoping for, there’s no better time to prove it.
Week 1 will be here before you know it. The divisional rivalry is heating back up. If the Giants are going to turn the page in 2025, it might just start with Carter making life miserable for Daniels and the Commanders.