New York Giants Rookie Abdul Carter Pushes Back On Reason For Benching Against Green Bay Packers
In the wild world of the NFL, narratives get spun faster than a quarterback dropping back for a Hail Mary. This week, New York Giants’ first-round pick Abdul Carter found himself tangled in a story he says is pure fiction. After being benched for the opening series of Sunday’s heartbreaker loss to the Green Bay Packers, reports flew out that Carter had slept through a team walkthrough. Sleeping on the job? That’s a cardinal sin for a rookie trying to make his mark.
Carter, however, is calling a flag on the play. Speaking to the press, he wasn’t just denying the rumor; he was vehemently pushing back, insisting the whole “sleeping beauty” angle was a complete fabrication.
Carter Claims Treatment, Not a Nap
According to Carter, this wasn’t a case of a lazy rookie catching some extra Zs. It was a simple, honest-to-goodness mix-up. He explained that new Head Coach Mike Kafka had switched up the practice schedule, a memo Carter apparently missed. He was in the treatment room, getting his body right, when he realized his mistake. By then, it was too late.
“My mistake was an honest mistake,” Carter said. “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.”
You can feel the frustration. Here’s a guy, drafted to be a cornerstone of the defense, and suddenly he’s being painted as the next coming of Rip Van Winkle. For a young player, reputation is everything. Carter was slated to start in place of the injured Kayvon Thibodeaux, a huge opportunity. Instead, he watched from the sidelines as Tomon Fox took the first six snaps.
The Frustration With “Anonymous Sources”
What seems to gall Carter the most isn’t the benching, he owned his mistake, but where the “sleeping” story came from. The dreaded “anonymous sources.” It is a classic sports media trope, but for the player at the center of it, it’s a direct hit to their character.
“I don’t want anonymous sources to say these types of things about me that are untrue,” Carter said. “I did make a mistake, and I own up to what I did.”
Coach Kafka, for his part, kept it buttoned up, saying the matter was being handled “in-house.” But in the NFL, “in-house” leaks like a rusty faucet. The story got out, and now Carter is in damage control mode, fighting to protect his name. It is a tough spot for a rookie, but his willingness to face the music head-on shows a level of maturity. He’s not hiding; he’s owning his part of the mix-up while fiercely defending his integrity. Whether it was a nap or a scheduling snafu, one thing is clear: Abdul Carter is awake now.
