Abdul Carter

Giants Rumors: Carter, Kafka, HC Search

December 3rd, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Connor Byrne

After stumbling to a 2-8 start, the Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10. The team lost four straight before Daboll’s ouster, and the results haven’t improved since then. Off to an 0-3 start under interim head coach Mike Kafka, the Giants have now dropped seven in a row. At 2-11, they’re on track to pick second in the 2026 draft after selecting third last spring.

The Giants were competitive in one-score losses against a pair of NFC playoff hopefuls (Green Bay and Detroit) in Kafka’s first two games at the helm. Things turned ugly on Monday, though, with the Giants failing to put up a fight in a 33-15 loss to the NFL-leading Patriots.

Rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter, the Giants’ top pick in this year’s draft, was conspicuously absent for the first quarter. Kafka said benching Carter was a “coach’s decision.” He didn’t offer any further details, but it turns out the punishment came after Carter missed a special teams meeting, Charlotte Carroll and Dan Duggan of The Athletic report.

Carter was confused regarding his role on the punt return team, which changes from week to week. Kafka previously sat Carter for the opening defensive series against the Packers after he missed a walk-through. While Kafka has insisted that it was his choice to bench Carter, general manager Joe Schoen is “very involved in trying to instill discipline,” Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes.

Daboll did not discipline Carter for tardiness when he was in charge, according to Dunleavy. Conversely, Albert Breer of SI.com reports that Daboll fined Carter multiple times for showing up late or missing meetings. Carter admitted on Monday that he needs “to be better,” but his attendance problems have gone on throughout the year.

With four games remaining in the Giants’ season, Kafka may be running out of time to get through to Carter. However, the Giants haven’t ruled out a full-time promotion for Kafka.

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Schoen said Kafka will get a “real look” (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN). Kafka is on a list of roughly 10 candidates for a job that’s “highly coveted,” Breer relays.

The Giants have gone 11-36 since 2023, Schoen’s second season as GM, and he has drawn plenty of criticism as a result. Schoen is leading the coaching search, though, and he doesn’t expect his presence to scare away any candidates (via Raanan).

“From the calls we’ve gotten, I think we’re going to be able to fill that job,” said Schoen, who still sees a lot of positives on the roster.

Schoen noted that the team’s next head coach will inherit an offense with “some pieces in place to build around,” including potential franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart, No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers, and left tackle Andrew Thomas. Although the Giants rank 30th in total defense, Schoen contends they have a “pass rush” and “some pieces in the secondary,” which he believes will entice head coaching candidates.

Giants OLB Abdul Carter Addresses Benching

December 2nd, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Abdul Carter was benched once more under interim head coach Mike Kafka during the opening quarter of yesterday’s game. Few details about the incident have been confirmed, but the rookie spoke about the situation after the Giants’ loss.

Tardiness for meetings and other team events has been an issue throughout the season in Carter’s case. The No. 3 pick was benched for one series in Kafka’s first game at the helm. Acclimating to the day-to-day workload of an NFL player is an adjustment period for all rookies, but Carter acknowledged the need for improvement moving forward.

“I guess you can say that. But I’m not going to use that as an excuse,” Carter said (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “Like I 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.”

Things have largely not gone according to plan for the 22-year-old so far. Carter has posted just 1.5 sacks in 2025 despite logging a snap share of 72%. He has managed to record 17 pressures and 13 QB hits in that span, and it will be interesting to see if that translates to an uptick in sack production down the stretch. In any event, avoiding any further team discipline will be a key goal for Carter.

The Giants are 2-11 on the year, and their defense has struggled in several categories before and after Shane Bowen‘s firing. The team sits 14th in the NFL in sacks with 29, and New York’s pass rush trio of Carter, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux was expected to be productive entering the season. Burns has enjoyed a career year with 13 sacks and counting, although Thibodeaux has missed three straight games and it is unclear when he will be able to return.

In the event Thibodeaux departs in free agency this year, Carter will be tasked with serving in a full-time starting role alongside Burns for the foreseeable future. Improvement in Year 2 will of course be sought out, but in the meantime the matter of any further team discipline will be something to watch for.

Giants’ Abdul Carter Benched For First Quarter Of Week 13

December 1st, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Connor Byrne

For the second time in three weeks, Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka publicly disciplined rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter on Monday. The 22-year-old missed “all or part of a team responsibility,” leading Kafka to bench him for the first quarter against the Patriots, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (Richie O’Leary of On3 first reported the news).

Carter, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, has reportedly had issues with tardiness throughout the season. While head coach Brian Daboll didn’t dole out any known punishment to Carter before his Nov. 10 firing, Kafka hasn’t been as forgiving.

In a Week 11 loss to the Packers, his debut taking over for Daboll, Kafka benched Carter for the Giants’ opening defensive series after he missed a walk-through. A report indicated Carter was absent from the walk-through because he fell asleep at the team’s facility.

Carter vehemently denied he was asleep, per Dunleavy. However, he did admit to “a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team.”

Asked why Carter didn’t play in the first quarter on Monday, Kafka told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge it was a“coach’s decision.”

Carter’s one-quarter benching temporarily deprived the Giants of two key pass rushers. They were already without Kayvon Thibodeaux, who missed his third straight game with a shoulder injury.

The Patriots, who stand atop the AFC, jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Carter entered the game. The Pats wound up rolling to a a 33-15 win over the Giants, who fell to 2-11. They’re now 0-3 with Kafka at the controls.

Whether Kafka earns a full-time promotion (which seems doubtful) or the Giants hire someone else as their next head coach, getting through to Carter will be among that individual’s most important tasks. The Giants bet big on Carter after he was a force at Penn State, where he recorded 23.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2024 en route to Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Giants undoubtedly expect him to turn into a franchise cornerstone.

While Carter did pick up four tackles and a sack on Monday, his production with New York has fallen well short of his Penn State output so far. Carter has logged 31 tackles, 13 QB hits, and 1.5 sacks in his first 13 games as a pro. This will go down as a lost season for the Giants, but their chances of a 2026 rebound will improve with better on- and off-field results from Carter.

Giants’ Abdul Carter Benched For Opening Series Of Week 11

November 18th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants were shorthanded along the edge in Week 11 with Kayvon Thibodeaux out of the lineup. That allowed Abdul Carter to take on an increased workload, but not until after the team’s first defensive series.

Interim head coach Mike Kafka benched Carter for the Packers’ opening drive. That amounted to six missed plays before Carter found himself on the field for every snap the rest of the way. The No. 3 pick addressed the matter after the Giants’ loss without going into detail on it.

“I made a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team,” Carter said (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). “I already know that whatever I do is going to have consequences. That was the consequence, have to live with it, keep playing.”

Providing further details on the issue, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports Carter missed a walk-through during the week leading up to the Packers game. He adds Carter was asleep in the team’s facility at the time of the walk-through. The 22-year-old has since denied that he was asleep, stating he was instead undergoing recovery. In any case, this led to Kafka’s decision to keep him on the sidelines for the opening series. Per Duggan, late attendance to team meetings has been a trend in Carter’s case which former head coach Brian Daboll tolerated without discipline. Carter wound up posting one quarterback hit on Sunday.

The Penn State product has been on the field for 71% of the Giants’ snaps during his rookie campaign. That workload has not yielded much in the way of production so far, however. Carter has recorded just 0.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits and 14 pressures in 2025. Brian Burns has enjoyed a strong season with a career-high 13 sacks and counting, while Thibodeaux has continued to operate as a regular along the edge.

Thibodeaux is a pending free agent, and a departure would pave the way for Carter to pair with Burns as the Giants’ edge tandem for years to come. All involved will be seeking improved production over the closing weeks of the season in Carter’s case, though. He will also look to avoid a repeat of this incident and in doing so avoid further team discipline.

Giants LB Micah McFadden To Undergo Foot Surgery

September 11th, 2025 at 3:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Micah McFadden suffered a foot injury during the Giants’ season opener. The fourth-year linebacker is facing a lengthy absence as a result.

McFadden is set to miss a “significant” portion of the 2025 campaign, as first reported by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Surgery is now on tap, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan adds. McFadden is considered likely to return at some point this season, per Raanan.

Even so, losing the 25-year-old will deal a blow to New York’s defense. McFadden played a rotational role during his rookie season before becoming a full-time starter the following year. His snap share jumped once more in 2024, reaching 75%. Another impactful campaign was expected in McFadden’s case for this season, the final one of his rookie contract.

As a pending free agent, the timing of McFadden’s injury is particularly troublesome. The former fifth-rounder’s market value will be dictated in large part by his play in 2025, but that will prove to be a small sample size. In McFadden’s absence, Darius Muasau – selected in the sixth round of last year’s draft – took over as a starter on defense in Week 1. That could continue moving forward, although other options will be explored at the second level of the Giants’ defense.

When speaking to the media on Thursday, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said (via Raanan) the team has “got to consider” using Abdul Carter as a weakside linebacker in the wake of losing McFadden. Carter, this year’s No. 3 overall pick, worked exclusively as an edge rusher last season and thrived in that capacity. The Penn State product previously saw time as a linebacker, however, so at least a part-time role in that regard could be feasible.

The Giants have Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in place as starters along the edge, something which led to questions entering the season about Carter’s workload. He handled a 50% snap share in Week 1, and Bowen noted that will change on a week-to-week basis. Given McFadden’s absence for the foreseeable future, it will be interesting to see if Carter’s rookie campaign winds up including responsibilities at more than one position.

Giants Sign No. 3 Pick Abdul Carter

May 23rd, 2025 at 6:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 23: Shortly following details of the No. 1 overall pick’s contract, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 divulged some details for the No. 3 overall pick. The signing bonus for Carter’s contract, signed yesterday, has been updated to a more exact $29.55MM. Following his rookie campaign, Carter will receive guaranteed roster bonuses for each of the three remaining guaranteed years of his contract. The roster bonuses will be worth $1.89MM in 2026, $3.83MM in 2027, and $5.78MM in 2028.

MAY 22: Abdul Carter is the latest member of the 2025 draft class to sign his rookie deal. The No. 3 pick inked his initial NFL pact on Thursday, per an announcement from the Giants.

This four-year deal is worth a total of $45.26MM and (like those of all other first-rounders) is guaranteed in full. Carter will receive a $29MM signing bonus as part of the deal. Taking into account the fifth-year option, he could remain under team control through the 2029 campaign.

Throughout the pre-draft process, Carter established himself as one of the two bluechip prospects in this year’s class (with Heisman winner Travis Hunter being the other). The Titans were linked early to potentially moving out of the No. 1 slot, but once they committed to selecting quarterback Cam Ward that came off the table. Hunter wound up going second overall, albeit to the Jaguars after they pulled of a trade with the Browns to move up to that spot.

The Giants did extensive work on the quarterback position this year, but by late April a signal-caller (Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart or otherwise) was not expected to be the pick at No. 3. To no surprise, Carter heard his name called at that slot and thus joined a New York pass rush group already featuring Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Expectations will be high for those two, along with Carter, to deliver strong production in 2025.

The Penn State product transitioned to edge rusher on a full-time basis in 2024, something which proved to be a productive decision. Carter earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors upon leading the conference in sacks (12). His 23.5 tackles for loss were the most in the country, something which helped lead to a consensus All-American nod. If Carter – who is clear to take part in spring practices after dealing with a foot injury – develops as hoped, he will become a mainstay along the edge for years to come in New York.

Of course, the Carter selection wound up being followed by a move back into the Day 1 order to draft Dart as the Giants’ long-term option under center. He remains unsigned at this point, with the same being true of second-round defensive tackle Darius Alexander and fourth-round running back Cameron Skattebo. Given today’s news, though, four members of the Giants’ draft class have been signed, with the most lucrative rookie pact having been taken care of.

Giants Notes: Manning, Carter, Nubin, Neal

April 30th, 2025 at 8:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Giants announced that they were looking to sell a “minority, non-controlling” ownership stake in the team in February. Now, a franchise legend is interested buying into his former team.

Eli Manning is putting together a bid for the available shares in the Giants, according to Gillian Tan and Randall Williams of Bloomberg, looking to become the next former NFL player to become part-owner of a franchise. Tom Brady, who famously lost Super Bowls to Manning’s Giants in 2008 and 2012, became a minority owner of the Raiders last year.

Previous reports have indicated that the Giants would sell as much as a 10% stake. Forbes valued the franchise at $7.3 billion last August, suggesting that a new investment group would need to raise at least $730MM.

Manning has $232.5MM in career earnings, per OverTheCap, plus millions more from endorsements and business ventures, but he will still need deeper pockets to afford that price tag. He has spoken to other NFL players, per Bloomberg, and could also look for interest at Brand Velocity Group, a private equity firm in which he is a partner.

New Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter is “ready to go” for rookie mini-camp and OTAs, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. The No. 3 pick was rehabbing injuries to his foot and shoulder during the pre-draft process, but will be able to participate in team activities this spring.
The Giants are planning to move 2022 first-rounder Evan Neal to guard, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. This confirms a previous report from Raanan that the 24-year-old was “destined” to slide inside. New York declined to pick up his fifth-year option last week and are hoping the position switch will salvage the last year of his rookie contract. Neal last played guard as a true freshman at Alabama in 2019 and has since played exclusively tackle. His struggles blocking out in space in the NFL may be covered up on the interior, where his natural size and strength can play a bigger factor.
2024 second-rounder Tyler Nubin underwent ankle surgery this offseason after an injury sidelined him for the last few games of the 2024 regular season, per Schwartz. His 98 tackles as a rookie ranked second on the Giants despite appearing in just 13 games.

Giants Select Abdul Carter At No. 3

April 24th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

While a surprise took place with the second overall pick, things have gone according to plan with the Giants. New York has retained the No. 3 pick and used it on Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. Carter becomes the second pass rusher taken in the top five picks by New York in the past four drafts, joining Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was drafted No. 5 overall by in 2022.

For a while, it was unclear whether or not Carter was truly destined for New York. We continued to see calls from the Giants as they attempted to land the No. 1 overall pick from Tennessee as well as calls into New York as teams considered trading up to get Carter. There were even rumors that Carter was still in play to land in Cleveland at No. 2 overall. Ultimately, everything stayed as planned, and the Giants walk away with a player many considered the best prospect in the draft class.

Carter graded out as college football’s second-best edge rusher in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. His 12.0 sacks this season were good for seventh in the nations, and he led the NCAA with 23.5 tackles for loss. He finished his collegiate career as the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.

Carter joins a pass rushing group that is currently led by Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. Thibodeaux is headed into the final guaranteed year of his rookie contract, but the Giants are expected to exercise his fifth-year option. Burns, on the other hand, is under contract through the 2028 season and should be around for Carter’s first few years in the league.

Carter should immediately push Thibodeaux for starting reps opposite Burns. At the very least, the Giants now have three starting caliber pass rushers that they can employ in any combination. Regardless of their needs, Big Blue walks away with one of the draft’s top prospects at No. 3 overall.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Giants Still Trying To Trade Up To No. 1; Shedeur Sanders QB2 On Team’s Board?

April 24th, 2025 at 2:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans are already believed to have rebuffed multiple Giants offers. A year after a failed Drake Maye trade pursuit — as the Patriots rejected Giants and Vikings proposals for No. 3 overall — New York appears shut out of the Cam Ward draft slot. Drew Lock‘s shootout win over the Colts in Week 17 set this chain of events in motion, bumping the Titans to No. 1 overall.

Although Tennessee has stood firm on No. 1, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes the Giants are expected to make a final push for the pick. This would undoubtedly require a better offer. Thus far, all that has come out indicates a Giants third-round pick is part of the team’s trade package. Tennessee’s Ward interest would certainly require far more than that, and upping the price on a New York team carrying two hot-seated power brokers makes sense for a Titans team with leverage.

The Titans are not expected to go for any offer at this point, being sold on Ward as the player who can turn the team around. The Giants, then, are viewed as likely to have Abdul Carter ticketed for the Big Apple. The Browns (or another team) will have Travis Hunter to add. Positional needs would naturally make the Giants favor Hunter over Carter, but they are believed to view the Penn State linebacker-turned-EDGE as a prospect talented enough to table their QB need to later in the draft. On that note, the Giants have begun charting a potential path back into Round 1 for a passer, joining the Browns and Saints in this mix.

Brian Daboll-Jaxson Dart connections have emerged over the past several days, but Schwartz adds a notable update to the team’s QB hierarchy. Shedeur Sanders is the No. 2 QB on the team’s big board. While we are amid a leaguewide smokescreen avalanche, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes that an outside chance exists the Giants take Sanders at No. 3 to check off a box that has defined the Daboll-Joe Schoen regime’s tenure. Though, that is not the expectation for tonight, as Sanders is in danger of falling out of the first round.

The Giants have plenty of familiarity with Sanders. They spoke with the Colorado prospect at the Combine, hosted him on a “30” visit, dined with him before Colorado’s pro day and worked him out in Boulder last week. Darius Slayton‘s sister, Maleika, also serves as Colorado’s director of on-campus recruiting. The team, however, is believed to be split on Sanders after this eventful evaluation.

It should be considered likely he and Dart are the Nos. 2 and 3 options on Big Blue’s board, as the Post’s Ryan Dunleavy views Jalen Milroe as being a lower-ranked player for the team. With multiple Daboll-Dart connections surfacing, the rumor of a Daboll-Schoen schism is again relevant. Schwartz indicates the two decision-makers are aligned. Giants fans had better hope this is the case, as this is a pivotal draft after the team’s Daniel Jones journey lasted six years without much payoff.

Jones came to New York a year after the team chose Saquon Barkley over the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Allen. It was believed at the time the Giants did not have a consensus on a QB in 2018. Pat Shurmur was believed to be higher on Allen, while Darnold support existed as well. John Mara was also believed to be an Allen fan at the time, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. While revisionist-history alarm bells may be sounding here — as has been the case with other teams re: Patrick Mahomes‘ 2017 draft journey — Mara being high on the eventual Bills icon at the time and seeing his GM draft Barkley may prove relevant now that his franchise needs a quarterback again.

Mara did not fire his GM and HC, despite a 3-14 season, shouldering some of the blame for Jones’ continued employment. With Schoen and Daboll in-season firing candidates, Mara making an ownership call for a quarterback at No. 3 — or at any point during the early rounds — would be a seismic development, one that would point to little confidence remaining in his current power structure.

The Giants, however, view Carter as a player who would supplement Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Packages featuring the trio would be deployed, as Schwartz adds the Giants were intrigued by the ex-Nittany Lion off-ball linebacker’s versatility. Having seen another ex-Penn State pass rusher morph from ILB to dominant edge rusher (Micah Parsons) does not hurt. Barring something unexpected, another sequence in which the Giants strengthen a strength on the edge, reminding of the Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul picks, is on tap. What happens next will prove more interesting, as a glaring QB need would remain.

Titans Rejected Giants’ Offer For No. 1 Overall; Cleveland, New York Discussing Trades Back Into Round 1

April 23rd, 2025 at 11:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants held the No. 1 overall pick going into Week 17, but a Drew Lock-led upset win over the Colts dropped them out of that slot and vaulted the Titans to pole position. Week 18 did not change Tennessee’s draft position, and the team now appears a day away from adding Cam Ward as its next franchise centerpiece.

Around the Combine, we heard the Giants as a team interested in acquiring the No. 1 pick. Even as Ward-Titans links emerged, the Giants took their shot. They called the Titans multiple times with trade offers for No. 1, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. New GM Mike Borgonzi confirmed Tuesday the Titans are staying at 1, with a Ward pick imminent.

Multiple offers emerged, per Russini, who describes the Giants as being the most aggressive team with regards to acquiring the pick. Although the Giants’ offer included at least their 2025 third-rounder (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the full trade package is unknown, but this push — presumably for Ward — reminds of their Drake Maye pursuit last year.

New York made a strong offer for New England’s No. 3 overall pick. The deal would have given the Patriots the Giants’ first- and second-round picks last year and first-rounder this year; instead, the Patriots took Maye. The Giants then passing on J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix and Bo Nix thrust them into their current predicament, holding a top pick without a quarterback deemed worthy of it.

Strongly linked to passing on a QB at No. 3 to take one of this draft’s top two talents — either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter — the Giants look to be readying to trade back into Round 1 for a passer. They are in talks with teams with picks near the bottom of the first round, Russini adds. They join the Browns in that effort. Cleveland, New York and New Orleans appear in this boat, as the Saints have also been tied to tabling their QB need beyond their No. 9 overall pick.

Both the Browns and Giants added two veteran QBs apiece, which at least would send a capable starter for both teams into Week 1. But Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson are not enviable options for 2026; they are bottom-half options for 2025. Yet, each team has access to this draft’s best players. It is looking like the Browns and Giants’ trade-up efforts will need to be monitored after Hunter and Carter go off the board. The Giants may be split on Sanders, but more Jaxson Dart–Brian Daboll buzz is circulating. Chatter continues that Daboll likes the Ole Miss QB more than Sanders or any other non-Ward option, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes.

Although the Browns have still been linked to Carter in recent days, Hunter looks more likely to be Cleveland-bound. When asked about his potential draft destination, Carter’s reply (via SNY) pointed to a New York landing. The Giants traded for Brian Burns last year and used a top-five pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux in 2022. The latter has not quite justified that investment, though he has not been a bust like 2022 No. 7 overall pick Evan Neal. Carter, however, could displace Thibodeaux in New York’s lineup. Then again, the team has a past (under John Mara) of adding on the edge (Mathias Kiwanuka, Jason Pierre-Paul) when it already possessed a strong group.

The Steelers‘ No. 21 overall pick has come up with regards to a trade-up spot, per Graziano. That information comes after an early-week report indicated Pittsburgh is interested in trading down. This would seemingly add the Steelers to the list of QB-needy teams who do not believe Shedeur Sanders or one of the other second-tier options is worthy of the pick. Mike Tomlin being a Sanders fan would stand to negate a trade-down move, but the Steelers were not originally planning to use No. 21 on a QB. A Sanders fall could change that, and that will be a Day 1 draft subplot to monitor.

Teams are also potentially leery of the Rams at No. 26, Graziano adds, with trade-up discussions appearing to factor Matthew Stafford‘s age into this equation. The Giants pursued Stafford aggressively in February, but the Super Bowl-winning QB regrouped and stayed with the Rams. It would seem unlikely the Rams would use their top draft asset on a QB in a maligned class, but the team is running short on time to add a Stafford heir apparent.

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