Abdul Carter of the New York Giants is on to the Detroit Lions.
Carter, the rookie edge defender who was disciplined last Sunday for missing a walk-through and spent part of his time since then defending
himself, did not use that exact phrase in speaking to media on Wednesday. That, though, was the message.
“I took ownership for it. We’ve moved on from it,” Carter said. “We’re focused on this week, so that’s what I’m trying to focus on.”
Has it been a difficult week for the 21-year-old?
‘It hasn’t been that tough for me,“ Carter said. ”I’m a very privileged person, a very blessed person. I’m trying to take advantage of my opportunity that I have. So, it hasn’t been that tough for me.“
What about people questioning his commitment?
“I love the game. I feel like that’s known. I feel like there’s no need to prove that,” Carter said. “But like I said, I’m going to continue getting better, continue to keep learning, trusting my teammates, them trusting me. We’re going to figure it out.
Carter, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has just a half-sack in 11 games after being ballyhooed as the next Micah Parsons. Carter has 35 quarterback pressures this season, just two behind Brian Burns for the team lead. Burns, though, is second in the league behind Myles Garrett with 13.0 sacks.
“The season’s not over yet. I feel like it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. So, I’m going to finish strong,” Carter said. “I try not to focus on the numbers aspect too much. I feel like I’ve always said I’m more about winning and how the team is doing. So, if the team is doing good, I’m doing good. If the team is doing bad, then I’m not feeling good.”
The Giants are 2-9 and obviously have not done well.
“Losses are lessons,” Carter said. “Nothing good comes easily … nobody likes to lose, but I feel like you’ve got to learn from losing so you can win.”
