Giants' Abdul Carter Owns 'Honest Mistake,' Denies Rumors After Missing Practice

New York Giants rookie pass rusher Abdul Carter discussed the circumstances surrounding him missing a walk-through practice prior to the team's Week 11 game against the Green Bay Packers, calling it "an honest mistake."

"My mistake was an honest mistake," Carter told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday. "I own the fact that it was an honest mistake. I was getting treatment and I told Coach Kafka that, too. But to say I was sleeping at that time just wasn't true. And it also wasn't a trend. This was the only time it happened."

Carter, who was benched for the first series of the Giants' 27-20 loss to the Packers, explained that he was getting treatment at the time of the practice. Interim head coach Mike Kafka changed the time of the practice from what it used to be under previous head coach Brian Daboll, and Carter noted that he didn't realize the change was made until it was too late.

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Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported that Carter was asleep in the team facility while the walk-through practice was happening, but Carter insisted that wasn't the case.

Daboll was fired following the Giants' Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears, and Week 11 marked Kafka's first game as New York's interim head coach.

Despite that and the need to start a backup quarterback in Jameis Winston due to rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart being out with a concussion, the Giants kept it close against a Packers team in the thick of NFC playoff contention.

Tomon Fox started in place of Carter on Sunday, but Carter replaced him during New York's second defensive series, and he went on 89.1 percent of the team's defensive snaps, which was a career high.

Carter finished the game with just one tackle and one quarterback hit, and he surprisingly still only has a half-sack on the season.

The Giants took Carter third overall in the 2025 NFL draft after he dominated during his collegiate career at Penn State.

In his final college season, Carter registered 68 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, earning him unanimous All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The Giants drafted him in hopes that he could form a fearsome pass-rushing trio with Brian Burns and 2022 No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, but it hasn't necessarily come together as quickly as hoped.

While Burns has played at an All-Pro level with 13 sacks, Thibodeaux and Carter have combined for only three.

Still, Carter figures to be a key part of the Giants' success for the remainder of this season and in the future, which is why they need him on the field as much as possible.