Giants rookie Abdul Carter delivers an unexpected response to the controversy from last night’s loss to the Patriots
New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter responds to the controversy from last night’s loss to the New England Patriots
New York Giants rookie pass rusher Abdul Carter came under fire yesterday for his second benching in the last three weeks. Interim head coach Mike Kafka was questioned extensively about the issue, but did not clarify its root cause.
Carter was approached about the issue last night as well, and he gave a brief message that he had let his teammates down. Today, Carter opened up more than he has since he’s been in New York, with a surprising amount of self-reflection and ownership. He was emphatic that he needed to respond appropriately in the final weeks of the season.
“What I do on the field, after I’ve been through all this controversy, how do I respond?” Carter told reporters, “Do I shy away from it, or do I accept the challenge and become better, be the man I’m supposed to be?”
Abdul Carter reflects on his benching
Carter’s benching is speculated to be connected to the recently reported incident when he was late to a team walkthrough. His attention to detail and punctuality are qualities any young professional in any field needs. Instead of shying away from the attention and deflecting, Carter was extremely mature about the situation and stated it’s been a learning experience.
“I’m learning a lot. Just being a man, being in the NFL,” Carter shared,” Just going through it. I’m learning a lot, and I’m glad I’m going through it so I can be better prepared in the future.”
Carter also shared that he’s not taking his teammates’ criticisms personally because of the respect he has for the team’s leaders.
“I take it. The guys who say that are guys I look up to, guys I respect,” Carter said to the media, “If they say something like that, I’ve got to look at myself and say, ‘ Alright, what am I doing, how can I get better?’ And prove to them I can earn their respect.”
One of those leaders who spoke up today was inside linebacker and captain Bobby Okereke.
“It’s just a reminder for all of us to take this job and position that we’re in with the utmost professionalism,” Okereke stated, “You’ve got to respect it and the details on and off the field.”
It’s obviously concerning that this has become a recurring issue for a player who could be the face of the franchise for the next decade if he reaches his potential. However, Giants fans must recognize and appreciate that Carter has handled this with absolute professionalism, taking ownership of his mistakes.
Additionally, it’s absolutely unfair to blame Carter for this entirely. There was a poor team culture under the fired head coach Brian Daboll, which leaked into their performance on the field. Clearly, no one was holding Carter accountable until now. To fix this rotten culture, the Giants need to hire a coach who can set the tone immediately.
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