For the second time in three games, Abdul Carter started a New York Giants contest on the sideline.
This time, according to CBS Sports, the decision came during Monday night’s 33–15 loss to the New England Patriots, when the rookie pass rusher was held out for the entire first quarter before entering the second.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka didn’t deflect when asked about the move afterward. He said the call to bench Carter was his alone, signaling that the decision was rooted in internal standards rather than game-planning or performance-based concerns.
Carter, meanwhile, had little interest in providing additional context. When asked why he didn’t suit up until the second quarter, the No. 3 overall pick kept his response brief. “S**t happens,” Carter said. “I ain’t going to get into detail, like I said, s**t happens.”
By the time Carter took his first snap, the damage was already done. New England had raced out to a 17–0 lead, forcing the Giants into catch-up mode. Still, Carter made his presence felt once he checked in, finishing the night with four tackles and his first full sack in weeks — a reminder of why the organization invested such a high pick in him.
The benching added to what has been an uneven introduction to the NFL for the former Penn State standout. Through 13 games this season, including two starts, Carter has logged 31 total tackles, 13 quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Carter entered the league with massive expectations. At Penn State, he was one of college football’s most productive defenders, posting 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in his final season. That stat line made him the first FBS player since Will Anderson Jr. in 2021 to reach both benchmarks in a single year. His draft selection also placed him in rare company, becoming the third Penn State defensive player chosen in the top three during the modern draft era.
Monday’s incident followed a similar situation just weeks earlier. In Week 11, Carter was held out of the opening series against the Green Bay Packers after missing a walk-through. Initial reports suggested he had slept through it, a claim Carter publicly disputed. He said a schedule change and treatment session caused the mix-up, adding at the time, “My mistake was an honest mistake. I own that.”