The New York Giants traveled to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football in Week 13. While they got rookie quarterback Jaxon Dart back from a two-game absence, fellow rookie linebacker Abdul Carter was noticeably absent from the field during the Giants’ opening defensive drive.
While the Giants made no statement until interim head coach Mike Kafka was asked coming out of the locker room after halftime, one insider shared the reasoning behind what is being called a coach’s decision.
Giants Insider Reveals Reason Behind Abdul Carter Benching
When the Giants’ defense took the field on Monday Night Football against the Patriots in Week 13, the 2025 third overall pick, Carter, was seen on the sidelines wearing a coat. While there had been some rumblings, there had been no confirmation that the rookie was in any sort of trouble ahead of the game, making the benching a bit of a surprise.
This isn’t the first time Carter has been benched after Kafka sat the rookie to start the game in Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers. According to New York Post Sports NFL reporter Ryan Dunleavy, “Source: Carter was benched again for missing all/part of a team responsibility, a league source tells me. That’s twice in three games under interim head coach Mike Kafka. Part of a recurring theme this season.”
Source: #Giants Abdul Carter was benched again for missing all/part of a team responsibility, a league source tells me. That’s twice in three games under interim head coach Mike Kafka.
Part of a recurring theme this season.@On3Richie was on this yesterday.
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) December 2, 2025
A parody account on social media claimed that he was watching unprofessional videos in a work setting during a meeting with his headphones unplugged. Although it appears that the story is false, some major outlets reported on the rumor and quickly amplified its reach, giving it some traction.
As Kafka came out of the locker room after halftime, the ESPN broadcast asked him about the benching. He kept it vague, explaining it was a coach’s decision, but did not share what Carter did to earn the punishment. With him getting benched twice in three weeks, it’s clear the Giants coaching staff is trying to send a message to the rookie after the firing of former head coach Brian Daboll.
Carter has played in all 12 games for the Giants this season. Coming into Week 13, he had 15 solo tackles and a half sack in his rookie campaign. However, Carter recorded the first sack of his NFL career against the Patriots.
New York’s defense has struggled mightily this season, scoring a 65.4 in PFSN’s Defense Impact metric, ranking them 29th in the NFL.
