New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka told reporters that rookie edge-rusher Abdul Carter didn’t play the first series of Sunday’s 27-20 loss against the Green Bay Packers due to a coach’s decision.
He didn’t explain the reasoning for the decision:
However, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported Carter was benched for missing a walk-through, as he reportedly was asleep at the team’s facility at the time:
Duggan added that Carter being late to meeting was a “trend” that former head coach Brian Daboll let slide.
Carter didn’t add many details when asked about the matter after the game, saying only that he made a mistake and those decisions have consequences.
The 22-year-old featured heavily after the first series, playing every other defensive snap of the game while registering a tackle and quarterback hit.
Statistically, it’s been a bit of a disappointing rookie season for Carter, who has just 0.5 sacks and a tackle for loss. The Giants selected Carter with the No. 3 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, pairing him with veteran Brian Burns and 2022 first-rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux in the hopes of creating a fearsome pass rush.
While Burns has had an excellent season (13 sacks), Carter and Thibodeaux (2.5 sacks) have gotten to the quarterback less consistently.
Thibodeaux (shoulder) was among a number of key New York players who missed Sunday’s game due to injury, which likely led to the heavy workload for Carter following the first series.
